Abandoned Memories
by XxTerroKing23xX
Summary: "This! This is our enemy, the common enemy that the Eudoran Sapiens—AKA: Seiya-jins—have been fighting against in fear of being annihilated by! What you see before you is not a child, but a monster in humanoid form." Contains crossovers, OCs, speculations; some adult themes may arise in specific chapters. Most chapters under spelling/grammar re-editing. Complete for now.
1. Chapter 1

**"_According to legend, the last Super Saiyan could only maintain his status in the transformed state. His power was extraordinary, he had no equal in the universe. But he was too primitive to control it, his rage burned so intensely that it eventually consumed him. In the end, he was destroyed by his own power._" -Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans**

**"_Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it._" _-Rotto Valogna, 11th Century_**

**Chapter 1  
**

**A Vital Alliance **

* * *

Perhaps the best way to describe this world isn't how one would expect. I have read what one would consider the lost archives of my species; what has happened to us since then and up to this moment, however, is a mystery.

Now, had I been speaking these words to you under the iron grip of Frieza, much less King Vegeta of the newly formed saiyan home world, then you could expect to never hear of me the morning after, nor days later, and soon forget that such an individual as myself ever existed. No, I am not a weak-willed Saiyan, who can not fathom embracing the ways of my culture... it was a pity that the so called king had exiled the second-born prince, over the mere charge of being born with an inferior battle power.

Strength. You either had it, dominating your ways up the ranks and living a dull, crude life- or you'd let it throw you under the bus. It was never a state of means in the modern age of my species. Which reminded me...

My relatives, or rather, the caretaker who had looked after me. I can't recall a day when he would smile at all. It's always '_missions_' and '_rank_' that comes first to address in the new culture, but never the family which he stated was priority in the old days. Granted, when the Tuffles were finally defeated during the long, overdue war from several centuries back, that general named "Vegeta" had his men let all know that it was he who led them to victory, he who saved them from the misdeeds the Tuffles would do. He even renamed the planet after himself, just to make everyone acknowledge that if it weren't for him, they wouldn't have any freedoms.

Pfft. I spit at that bastard's face; what does he know of freedoms?

Look at our race. The man signed a contract that binded us as tools of labor for technology and intelligence. The Tuffles weren't even hostile from what I heard some say. In fact, for a race that had superior minds and numbers, they placed a lot of trust sticking around 6 ft tall giants, when they themselves averaged around the lower 4 ft 10. So why was Vegeta so convincing in getting what little of our species to commit mass genocide?

How did we even get to planet Plant in the first place?

"_A guardian_," was what my caretaker would repeat, knowing over and over the origin from his father, who in turn knew from his father, and so on until the generation where said "guardian" was from.

It's confusing, I will admit, but our species had once thrived on a planet known as Eudora, which would resemble a bit of the human culture as I've come to know of by my refuge on Earth. In many ways, it could be said that Eudora and Earth are sibling planets, with the two worlds having once had the means to interstellar travel. Likewise, that means became lost, so no Saiyan has ever successfully made refuge on Earth during the crisis that destroyed the home world.

At least, no known saiyan...

Nevertheless, my question still stands from what I wish to learn of the past. Who are we really? What makes us a "Saiyan"? Was there any purpose in offing the Tuffles? This "guardian" that existed, did he have anything to do with the legends?

My only hope... is seeking an answer from the heavens, which may sound rather silly and piffle, but the world I live in with my caretaker's youngest, Kakarot, still has dinosaurs roaming around. The only way such a matter could have been achieved would have been through biological engineering, as Doctor Briefs has done so many times before, or he made a wish upon the seven sphere jewels called "Dragon Balls".

Then again, Dr. Briefs didn't have to be the sole candidate for having made the wish. After all, his daughter, Bulma, claimed that she found it in the basement; it could have been from a wish from long ago, or one of the family elders had collected it after knowing what value it had. Actually, I'm taking my chances with a grain of salt and take the choice that seems most logical in this situation, which is that the Briefs family have this singular item of the set as a financial net- not that they'd ever run into a situation like that, but hey, so were a lot of things down in that basement from two centuries ago. What things one could unearth by checking out the many possible heirlooms or inheritance the family had.

Forgive me for the digression. Now, where was I?

Ah, yes. The part where I was speaking of the dinosaurs. Indeed, a lot of mysteries fill the world, just as a lot still pertains to the Saiyan race. I know for a fact that humans- and, by the derivative knowledge- as well as Modern Saiyans can theoretically interbreed, but shouldn't the genetic barriers prevent such a union from being feasible?

Indeed, my race is a mystery, and I wish to understand the past, but to do so, wouldn't I be tempering with fate and cause imminent destruction? I do not wish to cause harm, nor do I want to erase people out of existence if I time travel. Additionally, using the dragon balls for a wish that shows the past seems like a waste of potential and time; not only does it seem like I could spend summer evenings training with Kakarot to defeat Frieza, but I would be introducing a new playing field for any surviving members of King Vegeta's regime.

The past is never truly labeled with clear markers of ever being beneficial for anyone, and he who has control of information, has control of the situation.

"Hey, big bro?"

"Hmm? What's it now, Kakarot?"

He began pouting; always insisting that I refer to him by that name the elderly man had given him. Honestly, I looked into it, and it seemed rather enlightening to find out that the name was akin to emptiness... in a good way.

"Fine. What's up, Goku?"

He smiled. A fact that even despite not being able to see the gesture from him, I at least has some idea of what it was like to imagine a Bardock who hadn't lost his innocence. Who knows, maybe some universe out there, he _is _my father, and Kakarot _is _my brother.

"I was wondering... does Prince Vegeta really deserve being punished for his father's wrong doings? I mean, our race is technically extinct, and he has suffered a lot, especially under Frieza's watchful eyes, but must we really outright state that we don't care about royalty?"

There he goes, asking me of the same question once more. A few years ago, when I had first tried educating my brother, he asked how we were related, which led to other prying questions, until eventually we both accepted the "phrase" that stated my family was the "royal" family. There really wasn't any evidence to support that claim, but seeing as King Vegeta took control of things using outdated knowledge, then I had just as much right to be king than he was. Lousy piece of sh-

"I think it would be nice, to have someone look after you, even though they aren't anywhere nearby."

"Kakarot..."

He turned to face me, casting a more philosophical look on his face as he speculated the pain and torment Vegeta must have been going through. In all likelihood, I could be wishing the death of my own cousin, and I wouldn't dare lend a hand- simply due to the fact he was sired by that devil. I'm unworthy, Kakarot.

"Taritzu." He referred to my birth name, which oddly enough, didn't sound like the trend normal modern saiyans would have. I believe part of the reason our culture intrigues me is how traditions were formed, even more so when I factor in the fact that despite valuing power and fighting capabilities, remnants of a society that also valued the physical aphrodisiac beauty still hung around. At any rate, my name is Taritzu Tetsuo Rutabaski, the alleged nephew of the queen; it is all I hold to my immediate family heritage.

"There you are." Interrupted the voice of a blue haired woman who I recognized by the tone alone. "I know you two have a mission to complete in the future, but holding off on your chores isn't going to cut it, boys."

* * *

It took a while to finish, but we eventually repaid Bulma for what she had provided us each day. Honestly, keeping the fact that we, aliens, exist and possibly could be targeted by the leaders of Earth was a huge favor Bulma was keeping secret. It also helped that Dr. Briefs and I had met a long ways back, when he first discovered the "meteors" fifteen years ago.

"Big bro. What do you think our species was like? Before the disaster that led to everyone relocating and what not."

I have always thought about that question, Kakarot.

"...Couldn't you visit that place with your genetic diving or whatever that thing is called?"

"Genetic Memory. And no, Kakarot. Such an era was forbidden for me to visit for my studies."

Unlike what most would assume, Earth harbored more inhabitants than at first glance. It was how I discovered a third saiyan on the planet- who is my friend, Haruna. It is also how I discovered a secret Colony on the planet as well, along with a Mystic who had commanded me to learn all I can from him.

Honestly, I really have been progressing much faster than Kakarot could catch up in, and it feels rather slow having to limit myself to only ONE sparring partner, and ONE teacher in the sciences. Besides, the Briefs family have already done more than their fair share in helping us out.

"Why can't you?" He asked in an innocence that rivaled someone else entirely. I couldn't exactly place my finger on it, but the moment he asked it in such a manner was rather cute and charming, as if I needed to protect the original user of debated charm. "You already seen the world from your older ancestors. We both know we're the descendants of Xetsu Rutabaski and Rotto Valogna respectively."

"With Bejita Pioneeri as a close, family ally. We spoke about this a long time ago, back when I agreed on rotating the position of King with Vegeta, if he can agree to my terms."

"But 1000 years in the past; what's forbidden about that?"

He had a point. I wanted to know too, but some secrets weren't for our eyes...

My vision briefly adjusted to the moving figure several hundred meters in the horizon, which I couldn't make much out of as the sun was already set for the majority of the evening. I didn't think much of it.

"Whatever, Kakarot. I'm going to sleep."

"G'night." He calmly replied, knowing that placing any more enthusiasm would just be overbearing. Honestly, I love the kid, but he's naïve to the point where asking certain questions or expecting results in such a manner would place him into trouble. They say that it is the people you meet like this that used to be your lover in a past life. My view on such nonsense: whatever you say. Then again, that could mean that several people could pose as a historical figure reincarnated, then decree that they must reap all of the world's gratitude set aside for them.

Like that would work.

* * *

Noises. Inaudible shouting all around me; incomprehensible, but still notable.

"Blast it all to hell I tell you," I heard the conversations that were recently inaudible clarify. The speech pattern is modernized, albeit the style resembles that of the Victorian era.

"Bah, always quick to give in, younger brother. It is that attitude that separates us- as I AM the worthiest of all that Ho-ou sama has presented his blessing unto." This current speaker, though somewhat of his indicators are confusing since they harbor an amalgamation of culture, the safest to assume is that whoever it was traveled the world a lot. Their identities unclear to me, I was greatly interested as what the conversation had been discussed concerned a deity known as Ho-ou, a being that had disappeared a long time ago

"_Hey, quickly... he's walking up_"

That voice, sounded rather familiar. As if I had known the speaker all of my life, but I knew that I was currently surrounded by strangers.

Oddly enough, you would ask me how it is that I understand their dialect and languages. My answer is simple: exposure to genetic memory allowed me to understand. I wanted to escape, but fortunately I stopped myself as someone else was paying a visit. A cloaked figure.

"Aquilus, Columba, Corvus. I'm glad that the three of you are already engaged in today's meeting." Said the stranger, towering at least twice the height of the younger member of the trio.

"What did the Tribunal have to say, Ho-ou sama?" Cautiously he asked, anticipating that he wasn't in a friendly mood. Oh, so this was Ho-ou that they were speaking of; I would have known better by the additional names people refer him by- such as what my mentor, The Mystic known as Blekk, would call him: Kuukanos.

"Frankly, he said many things, but one did stand clear above all else." He whispered mischievously like a child. Crouching on their level, the 8 foot, pristine clothed giant told them of this new mission to save the mortals, beginning with sending them a guardian. "I know lately I had clashing views with my overseer, wanting to create purpose and discover potential in regards of the mortal's quest for the truth, whereas Tribunal, just as my sister Jikanna, have decided in abandoning the mortals to recover the lost artifacts of the infinity stones."

"But... then you'd be in grave danger, and likely die!" Spoke the youngest of the group.

At this point he laughed it off, dropped his hood and revealed that he- like all the others- shared the same similar physical attributes.

"Hehehe, why should I worry. You, as well as all the others who were worthy of my power have been given abilities which in theory, should have killed me. What difference would establishing another link do?"

The oldest of the group replied this time. "True, however, Suzaku is too much of a variation to compare to us. While entirely independent of you, the spiritual power required to send him will begin a catalyst within you. That will leave his mark, as well as yours, within the other. That could soon lead to leakage, fatigue, and possibly even drive you to insanity at best. Worst things can happen still."

He merely chuckled at that fact, baffling the three.

"Humbugs, you never truly could exploit the best of life. It is the cautious nature of your minds that lead to calamity. Live at the moment and then plan out solutions. That is how my father lived his life and it is how I have lived mine as well. Why should I concern myself with well being now?" It almost seemed eerie that he stopped his gaze in my direction, as if he knew of my presence and I had things coming.

"Do any of you sense Altair or Baji-" he bit his tongue, wishing not to reveal his secrets to them. They took a look in my direction, indeed noticing I existed, but for some odd reason, didn't say a word of it.

"Never mind, I see Velarde is busy handling something with you three. Wake me up when the time comes to activate the new guardian." he said and began walking away.

'_Alright, this is seriously a new mystery for me. I have to find a way out of here and quick-._'

"_A~~~nd_, GOTCHA!"

* * *

My mind was struck by the small group who began informing me of the issue at hand was. Apparently, they didn't think it was necessary to tell me where we were, or what I was needed for, but that eventually got resolved as the one covering my eyes finally let go and allowed me to see once more.

"We're located outside of space and time; most people would call this Overspace, but it's really just a vault for the multiverse."

A chamber with many orbs indicated what was being said was true. Either I was having a lucid dream, drug related ego death, or truly was abducted by something far powerful than myself- all I knew was that I wanted out of here.

"Look, I have a little brother to look after and this is great and all, but I can't play pretend with whatever this is. I still don't even know how the hell I got here."

They looked at one another in a strange manner. They knew all too well what they needed to do, and it frighten me when I saw their mutual look.

"Either way you dice it, all universes are scheduled to recycling or they are consumed by the nearest possible threat." Spat out the oldest, emphasizing disgust at the mere mention of these 'threats'. According to them, the orbs that contained the universes were sustained by Ho-ou's energy- energy that he filtered for them to survive in the chaos of existence. At times, this energy would bring in miasma, infecting a universe or two, and leaving it be would endanger the other universes; regularly they would check and see if any of those popped up, but they had faith that the universes could hold their own against that dark force.

I recomposed myself, now assured that the news and information presented was quite real.

"You know, Aquilus, I could bring in his little brother as well if we need to. It's not that big of a deal to do so, especially since he might also want to participate."

"No, leave Kakarot out of this predicament." My instinctive sibling defense kicked in and surprised that hooded individual. Honestly, even though everyone else was masculine to some degree, this final character was leaving much to the imagination and not trying as hard to keep gender a secret. It also annoyed me that the hood was still hiding the person's eyes, but I guess people had varying degrees of comfort.

I was then stricken by fragility, feeling a burden that was far worse than simple gravitational pressure. It was surreal and unwarranted; no one else seemed to have felt the pressure, but I did. Only until that hooded stranger placed a hand on my shoulder did the force subside. Suddenly, said stranger gave me a once over, staring into my soul deeply with the glow of purple eyes as if the task was to evaluate my survival.

"Aquilus, do you still have connections with the Temporal King?" began the one with the well-educated mind. If I could recall correctly, they called him Columba, which fit in quite nicely with their trend of constellation and star titles.

The oldest guardian perked in hearing those words, a bit annoyed but understanding as the man could tell where his acquaintance was going with there.

"You know he values nothing else but the precious resource of time. Don't tell me you want to provoke him again, Columbus?" He responded with the memory of The Temporal King chastising them still fresh in his memory.

Scoffing, Columba merely mumbled away the insulting blunder of his title and returned to aiding his visitor. "Listen to me, Velarde," he looked the young adolescent over, somewhat reminded of himself. "What he needs is help from a Time Lord, which should be immediate as his body isn't so well accustomed to the properties of this realm."

The youngest one then showed up with a cloak in hand, which the shrouded stranger then enveloped me in to help me find comfort. _I can do this myself, perfectly fine, thank you very much!_

"Ordinary beings and mortals have heard little of The Temporal King, but rest assure, he's not a god by our terms." Corvus explained.

"According to those King helps, he's too much a stray to be part of the faction of Time- the one led by our master's twin." Aquilus began. "King is relatable, and he will present you with compassion, but try not to anger the man. He'll do us- _and you_\- this favor, but it will require some conditions."

"What favor?" I asked, baffled as to how they had come to the conclusion that I even had something in mind. "I haven't even told you guys anything!"

"Haven't you wondered what mysteries plague the Saiyan race, or what lost past has been forbidden to all else. Certainly you of all people would want to know where facts and fictions are distinct, where legends begin, and where history was lost..."

I stared blankly for a few moments, then laughed at the absurdity of this stranger's nonsense. Velarde spoke with charisma, I'd give him that, but I honestly didn't have the guts to try out something I wasn't so sure of by taking someone's word for it.

"What's funny?"

"Nothing." That was a lie, but they didn't need to know about that. I figured that there would be no way out of my predicament, so I better make the most out of it.

* * *

Moments later I found myself in front of an old man, wrinkles starting to form, but youth still residues in his eyes. It was weird; instead of seeming incapacitated, he was rather sporting in that suit and cloak he wore.

Grumbling, the man I figured was king sat up from what seemed a desk and began from his throat. "Taritzu Tetsuo Rutabaski of Earth-1530, I've been expecting you." He cracked his knuckles, chuckling as the action changed the environment and caused the young adolescent to fall on his behind.

"We have met before old friend, just not in the sense that it involved you directly, but nonetheless, the fact that we meet now proves that it is destined of what will occur in just a moment." King blinked out of my view and re-materialized just a short distance away. "It's time that the procedure starts. We don't want a temporal paradox to cause a time crash, now."

I couldn't find words to speak, yet my mouth was agape and was likely the only thing that still followed suit. Nevertheless, I was able to get a hold of myself and the pursuit came to its end, with King holding a spectre in his hands. What it would possibly do raked my mind of plausible answers.

"Is there a ritual or something that will bring out my powers. Or is this another method of diving into genetic memory?" King took a double take. He likely felt insulted that his technique was just compared to the artificial means of the procedure.

"No." Then a glint in his eye beamed, obviously due to what bizarre adventures he was recalling from the past. "This is but another form of time travel, my friend." King continued to ramble on of trivial principles until a set of rules caught my attention.

"While in the past, only your subconscious mind will stay aware. Your soul_ should_ stay anchored in this dimension, but the spirit which drives and transcribes the soul into your body would be the other part of you that travels. Anything done in that past will not change history, just how you perceive it. And dare I say, there are many inconsistencies between the era of conflict and this present age. Lastly, I advise you only try to make contact with the residents there a minimum, lest we have a greater paradox to handle."

"So basically, this is personality time travel?" I received a confirming nod at this. It was a bit suspicious, since I didn't know if I would remember anything that I'd need to know, but King acted faster than I could react in protest.

Waving the spectre over me, I felt the effects rapidly taking place as it was needed, feeling myself going thoughtlessness and sensed depersonalization taking place while being thrown into the past.

_'I hope this doesn't cause any adverse reactions on my part. Better erase his memories and leave his personality intact, just in case he might meet with his future self._'

* * *

Out in the fields, away from nearby communities were two fathers, both whom their nations deemed far more than worthy, converse in a topic which no leader would like to speculate.

"I've heard that the Sagratians and Pyrastrenes both began their super soldier programs. It'd just be a matter of time before resources deplete and they come after the neighboring countries." Said the oriental leader who was worldly known as Daisuke Kaido, the emperor of Boruvia.

"I know. But, the Holaska treaty constructed in 1946 restrains them from engaging in wars with undeveloped countries. What's more likely of them is that they'd seek methods to surpass our species' limits, at cost-effective prices."

Kaido thought that over, understanding the fact that these two grand power houses would rival against themselves, and in that process, over take most of the world just to spite them. "Just, what do you mean, Griel-san?"

Greil, the 27 year old man who spent most of his single life as a father cleared his throat with a violent hiss towards the bitter middle name. His full name was Johannes Greil Rutabaski, and had a history of being incarcerated more times in his youth that people would refer to him by Greil only, for it ironically denoted from the word "_greillade_". Honestly, he didn't care for much when others called him that, but Daisuke was too formal for his own good. "You know, you could call me by my given name."

"Yes, but it brings painful memories." Daisuke's words made him cringe, obviously seeing the underlying pain he repressed for the sake of his son. For one thing, Daisuke Kaido was the protégée of the previous Rutabaski: Juliano Marzo; it was very likely Daisuke cared significantly for the younger man, so much in fact that he'd give him anything in hopes they'd succeed. "And the boy, Sedorikku. Have you managed well raising him?"

"Daisuke. What do you mean? I do what I can; he may not have his mother, but what I do is what is essential for his welfare."

He eyed him carefully. Johannes had a rough life since the 60s: losing his friends, being sent off from his homeland, fighting supernatural beings, and losing his wife. It was amazing how he still stayed strong after the loss of his wife; Daisuke could have sworn it seemed like the day before the younger male was frightened out of his mind since his 15th birthday, but that was obviously 12 years ago. "Anyway," he briefly considered sympathizing with him, revealing he too had issues with his wife. Obviously, he decided not to; a woman in a psychiatric asylum did not compare to one that was missing- perhaps even dead. "Continue with what you were about to say, Joj-Johannes."

The spoken name was suspiciously close to that affectionate nickname his family called him, and he knew Daisuke was aware of his dislike of simple acquaintances calling him that now. It wouldn't matter... not with what he planned on proposing. "I'm talking about the breeding program. They'll search far and wide for the best genes possible to increase capabilities, perhaps even kidnapping children from our nations." He ended on a sentimental note. Johannes Griel Rutabaski had a way of handling situations in a least worrisome process compared to how Sagratia's leader would inflate international issues, with phrases like 'end of freedom' and 'best for democracies sake' that made Kairne's reputation of pansy-ass reaction and constant avoidance of politics seem like the wise choice.

"That would be a problem." Daisuke reiterated. "But what do you suggest. It's not like we can use technology to solve our problems. If a treaty were struck between us and word gets out that we're collaborating on a project, it would arouse suspicion."

"Indeed, but technology isn't my first bet on this."

Now Daisuke was piqued. "Don't tell me...that you honestly believe in that theory of the ancient legend?"

"It should work though. The blood-lagoon eclipse will appear 16 years from now, and we already have the two requirements of the three needed."

"Sanguine-Sapphire, Johannes; the moons will eclipse in their respected phases, ergo Sanguine and Sapphire. Your time at _Eikoku _has made you embrace street slang, although I have to give it to them with their ingenious teachings of guile."

"Yeah," Greil reminisced of the times he had to cover the many friends and save their hides from danger. At some point he found himself as their gang leader, but he didn't want that position. "And why wouldn't you trust in the legend? 1969,_ Kaido-san_. They awoke from their slumber, and everyone thought the two thousand year legend passed down generation after generation of Hadou warriors was a superstition. This '_world_-_breaker_' won't be a bad thing. In fact, I believe we can use the legendary being to protect the world, given enough energy and effort to condition it during childhood."

Kaido didn't exactly see it thrilling to give his daughter's hand away early on to a boy she hardly knew, especially since Sedrick may show signs of disinterest... procreation was an issue because of the observations the boy would lack thanks to his celibate father. However, a part of him that understood the way his young friend was asking for his agreement showed honor, so he accepted the preposterous proposition. "Fine, but only because I still feel that unfulfilled favor I still owe _Marzo-sama_ is incomplete. Just promise me that this child begotten by our son and daughter doesn't end up on the wrong side. Too much favoring on a spectrum can blunt the child's potential."

Griel nodded, glad that the two could settle this properly. It wouldn't be so hard; the children had acquainted themselves already as the fact Sedrick and Yanagi were happily getting along, almost like a couple.

The generation that the two could bring would beget their solution in such murky relations, so long as society doesn't ruin the champion in his youth.

* * *

"Kyousuke, I have received word that you skipped classes this morning. What do you have to say for yourself?"

The boy, formally known as Taritsu Maurice Kyousuke Rutabaski perked his eyes at the call out from his mother. He obviously found class boring, and came across seeing his old friend, Kakarotto, whom he hadn't seen since his mother died in labor six years ago. He already knew the subjects in elementary, surprisingly for a 7 year-old, but his mother still nagged about keeping his family away from unwanted attention.

"Mom, I'm sorry for not attending, but dad had a council to attend at AN; Vejita-san was there, so I studied with him." He left out the parts where General Baragus started yelling about the world being doomed, his sneaking off with Kakarotto, and the almost assassination attempt that was averted thanks to Kakarotto's brother.

Yanagi calmed a bit~just a bit though! It wasn't easy for her to take a breather. Especially since her first born was born with sensitive eyes, which the doctors had figured was hemerolagia (day-blindness), but he was an extraordinary child, able to handle more as he strangely matured much faster than the average kid by at least double his age, both physically and mental wise.

"Just promise me you won't place yourselves in danger," she referred to the youngsters as she eyed Kakarotto in the back, sheepishly greeting the Emperor's daughter. Yanagi knew about the secret the Valognas hid of Kakarotto, specifically the origins and gender, but as a promise she made to Baddack, she wouldn't risk it going public.

"Say mom, could Kakarotto and I head upstairs to my room? There's something I need to get for our project."

His mother did a double take on his choice of words, but understood the intentions of her son. It helped that she reminded herself that her son knew nothing of the young Valogna's secret, so there was no danger in having him asking permission and spending time in his room. '_They grow up so fast... Perhaps I don't have to worry about his future if they keep this up..._' "Sure, but afterwards you will come with me to visit your grandfather. He isn't getting healthier these days."

"Okay then. Thanks mom."

And so the two friends raced upstairs, nearly dropping a vase recklessly.

She sighed. '_At_ _least I'll still have him for a few more years. I can't believe I had to give up crime-fighting to raise him. It's such a gamble allowing Sedrick fight on his own these days._'

* * *

**To the reader**

**Abandoned Memories, as you may have noticed, is a cauldron full of literature- both borrowed from established content of pop culture and original content- which may or may not confuse some of the readers as they start of with the first couple of chapters. If they are confused by how this story starts out in the intro chapter, do not worry about having to read my other stories on my profile; this is more of a back story to that, so the entirety of Abandon Memories is the "main continuity", whilst the story _Trionem Fatalibus_ is the unfinished sequel. **

**Just because it may be overwhelming at first, doesn't mean I won't explain a couple of chapters [or detail who is who in the story] at your request, but for the most part, the reason it may seem too unorganized is that these introductory chapters are warm-ups to illustrate the Original Saiyan Home World, which Toriyama has not developed in his series as much. Along with the premise of this story, _The life and adventures of the legendary super saiyan_ -which was the original title of the story when I came up with the basis of it in 2012- my intention for this fiction is to answer as many inconsistencies Toriyama left in his original content, which means there are OCs that will exist. **

**However, characters from canon will make an appearance every so often, and the focus will shift from the main protagonist every so often. Also, feel free to check out the Q&amp;A for the first Arc below, as shown in the Table of Contents. Leave a comment in the review section, follow the story, or PM me for anything you'd like to ask about the fic. Remember, the more people interact with the author, the more they'll understand the inner works of the story, so take the time to leave a thoughtful review and enlighten yourself. I always welcome recipient input, even if the chapters have long been uploaded. **

**Table of Contents**

**The following is an [in progress] overview of the Abandon Memories [current] story arcs and Volumes. It should give the reader a good idea where the story is going and what's what path the story is taking, without spoiling too much. (Spoiler Warning for those who are just getting into the story)**

_**Volume 1**_

**Arc I- Brave "Old" World ****(Chapters 1-12)**

**part 1: A Vital Alliance  
**

**part 2: Gilded Hands**

**part 3: These turn of events...**

**part 4: ...can't be real, can they?**

**part 5: Quickster**

**part 6: Raise the Stakes (I)**

**part 7: Raise the Stakes (II)**

**part 8: Raise the Stakes (III)**

**part 9: Identitatis**

**part 10: Treasure Hunt**

**part 11: Sonikku**

**part 12: ****"Speedwagon's Expeditions for Generation-X Agency"**

**Arc I Q &amp; A ****(Chapter 13)  
**

**Arc II- W****orld's Amateurs Need Training, Else Disasters** **(Chapters 14-23)**

**part 1: Yukinoshita**

**part 2: Bad Company (****I)**

**part 3: Bad Company (II)**

**part 4: Projects and Training  
**

**part 5: Hughe L. Kingston  
**

**part 6: Murderous Intent  
**

**part 7: ****"Let you ****in ****on a secret"**

**part 8: Instinct and Reason  
**

**part 9: Hegemony  
**

**part 10: Friend or Foe?  
**

**Arc II Q &amp; A (Chapter 24)**

_**Volume 2  
**_

**Arc III- ****Biological Happenings and Technological Races**** (Chapters 25 - 42) **

**part 1: Motives  
**

**part 2: Fire and Ice**

**part 3: Agendas**

**part 4: Persona**

**part 5: Effects of Victory**

**part 6: ****Scientist Supreme and Fangirl's Dream**

**part 7: The Unforeseen**

**part 8: ****DAN-000 (Part 1)**

**part 9: ****DAN-000 (Part 2)**

**part 10: ****Temperance and Doubts**

**part 11: ****Bane of my existence**

**part 12: ****Hither is thy agony**

**part 13: ****Thus begins his training**

**part 14: ****Cut-and-Dried (Part 1)**

**part 15: ****Cut-and-Dried (Part 2)**

**part 16: ****When The Bell Tolls**

**part 17: ****Pursuing My Past Self**

**part 18: The Psychopomp?**

_**Specials**_

**Fluff and Extras**** (Chapters 43-48)**

**Adolescence**

**Aiguchi**

**Valogna**

**Chandler**

**Epilogue: Taritsu side**

**Epilogue: Johannes side**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Gilded Hands**

* * *

"Come on, you're gonna miss class," warned the child with bronze skyward locks. On the opposite side of the hall, the boy referred to sighed and continued his gait towards the end of the corridor. The Institution which they attended was one of Kairne's top certified public schools- Ravenwood Technical- and the only one that was flexible enough to ignore the two's insistent absences, which was anytime their fathers attended the Allied Nations Council Meetings.

As they were the inheritors of Kairne's leaders of Scientific Progress- _a social program that first started in the age of renaissance with Xetsu Rutabaski of the valley Orietur- _the kids were expected to maintain a certain criteria that was acceptable to the Royal Council. Now, unlike their peers and predecessors who had a hard time focusing in class, these two had gone beyond what was expected. Indeed, the professors all around were quite fond of these prodigies, seeing as the kids in the institute averaged a total of 7 years before they could graduate into secondary, where as they only attended a cumulative of three years and were just months away from primary graduation. Now all that was left was for their screenings and exit exams.

"By the way, what did you write about in your essay, Taritsu?" began the younger of the two. "You always did have a strange affinity for knowledge, and it's rather soothing to hear your explanations." Kakarotto stated, with sarcastic flattery since Taritsu hadn't really had any short but detailed explanations. Rather, the child was interested in Taritsu's sudden appreciation for science- mainly since he had chosen to pursue a higher education in life science. It was rather obvious he enjoyed animals, but he didn't see himself studying to be a zoologist, so Kakarotto had questioned why the sudden change of heart.

He laughed. Oh, how his friend would go on about the most trivial of matters. The essays were not to be discussed, neither during or after the exams until graduation was official. However, Kakarotto always loved to bend rules, especially the one's that were expressed highly not to ignore. At times it seemed he gained pleasure from just knowing it was frowned upon. "...it was a simple paper on _The Habits of Erinaceinae_. These critters are aversive of their surroundings, always quick on the defensive, but that also leaves them solitary."

"_..you always had a fascination on the most peculiar_," Kakarotto mumbled. His friend, though admired by many, was secretly feared in part of a small detail. The rumors of his birth had been that he was born on night of the Sanguine-Sapphire Eclipse, and despite the nation valuing worldly culture, a majority of the population still pertained to primitive fears. However, that just made Kakarotto incredibly loyal to the boy, as- thanks to him- bullies would think twice of harming either of them, lest they risk a lot because of the tales.

"Well, _Erinaceinae_ are incredibly similar to primitive Anthropoids, the ancestral species to ours: _H. Luminous_. Though that does make me think..." Taritsu began wondering in his own little world. It'd always be like that with him; there'd be no point in trying to converse with him until he came out of the phase himself. As such, Kakarotto ignored his silent ramblings and continued forth towards the oratory. By the double door entrance, their friend Vejita Pioneeri waited, arms fold and cursing his luck from having to associate himself with these two.

"What's up with him now," he groaned. Vejita never really liked how his father made him responsible for the boy simply because he was the kid's senior by three years. Hell, his father even drilled commands into him that threatened his life style simply because the child was irresponsible. You can't hold someone who's socially inept against you, they're out of your control!

"Nothing, but better we leave him out here and join the assembly. Two-thirds of us can represent the nation's leaders." Kakarotto suggested, to which Vejita went along with and entered the room. He glanced back once more, then shook his head as Taritsu still spoke to himself. '_What a weird kid._'

* * *

At the far side of the institute, a man of great prestige was getting it handed to him.

A small court meeting was taking place, with elders of the scientific community judging the unjust situation before them. They had heard reports of unethical practices surrounding animal abuse and illicit practices, such as psychological torture and mental transferal. The whole scientific community was skeptical of the latter, but with onward discoveries of neurology and the Navy Encephalon Program, these projects were entirely possible, despite there being a taboo about it in Kairne's social contract.

"...so I told him he'd should give up before things got out of hand, but..." The scientists cringed noticeably as they heard the eye witness testimony against him. Of course, one could argue that this was a biased stance since lately Xavier Light was the favored out of the two rivals. Light was charismatic, whereas his rival was shrewd and anti-social, turning down anything not work related.

'_Liar, you know exactly how it went down, Xavier. You just didn't want to get caught, and you always hated me,_' Wyle thought to himself. It was always like this with his rival; they went years back with more or less of the same relationship. However, now he took things much further making him a scapegoat, no doubt for his ambition of scientific supremacy.

"I think we heard enough now," interrupted one of the more anxious members. They had to get back to production, and holding these hearings weren't getting them progress. "Anything to say, Weissman?"

Weissman Wyle swallowed coldly, considering his alternatives. He could exploit Light for his wrong doings, but they'd label him as insane. Besides, lately the community was interested in Autonomous Androids, and Light had satisfied that need with his Cognitive Circuit Unit. If anything, arguing would just place him in a worse stance. He'd have to deal with their initial decision.

"There's nothing for me to say..." The hammer rapping brought the attention of the frenzied audience. They wanted to bring justice by their own standards, but since the nation valued rationality, they remained civilized.

"Weissman Alvern Wyle, though your contributions to the scientific community is greatly appreciated, we have no choice but to strip you of your title, forbid you from practices, and exile you from the community."

Weissman nodded in shameful acceptance. How he yearned to get back at Light, but it was not healthy to nurture his hatred. He left shortly after that to collect his belongings.

* * *

Wandering away from the oratory, Taritsu continued with his contemplations. He could go on for hours like that, but his biological needs for nourishment called for satiating his hunger.

"Where have I walked off to, anyway?" He didn't recognize this area of the institute, but a quick analysis of the corridor and doors made him assess that he was in the professional area of the building. A smile came to his lips; it wasn't any day he could enter this part of the institute. '_Just a quick peek wouldn't hurt._'

Humbly taking his steps, Taritsu crept quietly as he passed the doors. Even if the hall was silent, research was underway inside the rooms. "_I never really thought these types of scientists would be boring. Strange._" They didn't hold up to his standards, so he didn't pay much thought as to what might be happening behind closed doors. "_Geez, who'd thought science would require such sacrifices. Couldn't it be more lively?_"

He caught the sight of flickering images through the open door on the left.

Inside his room, the fallen scientist halted in his packaging, realizing he still had a few remaining files inside the lab near the end of the hall. '_I really can't forget about my studies now. It was such delicate work obtaining that data, but since now I have lost access to the equipment here, I guess it'd be best to apply at the Bureau of Scientific and Federal Investigations._' True, he could try there, as the branch of work there had severed ties with those institutes such as the one he was recently in. Plus- he still had the convenience of one of Kairne's most influential family to aid him in the case he ran into dead ends. The Levys still regarded him as a potential tutor for their daughter Nora, who no doubt showed more potential than most.

Once arriving at the lab, he found an unexpected visitor sat on the booth, seemly comprehending the notes and analysis he worked with in a matter of moments. It was like nothing he'd heard of before; the boy had an extraordinary capacity to learn, and it was the kind that developmental psychologists would immerse their interests into. Almost reminiscent of the Levy child, as he was informed; perhaps even more so from what he was witnessing before him.

With a sudden movement of the keys, the young lad corrected a few inconsistencies, shortening Weissman's work for presentation purposes. Weissman was enthralled with the child, amazed at how intellectual and studious the kid was. However, the child was still inexperienced to a proper environment, which is to say, Taritsu froze his pace when the field of knowledge seemed out of his range.

'_I must admit, he's a far more proficient individual, but even if he's incredibly gifted, not many are educated to levels of encyclopedic knowledge._' His train of thought skidded with the ever increasing footsteps coming from the other door of the lab. His eyes widened briefly; it was Light, who intended to steal his files from the lab. Though Wyle could tolerate being framed, he could not standby while Light disrupted the child.

*clearing his throat* "What is a _child,_ doing here?" Light demanded of the boy, who was still focused on the work. Wyle gulped; of all the things he knew of Light, ignoring him was not something you'd allow, especially if he perceived you lower on the social structure. '_I better interrupt before this gets out of hand._'

But before he could act, the child was caught. Having irritated the unethical scientist, Taritsu had himself thrusted into the wall. The crude hands adorn under a pair of sun-yellow gloves increased the pressure on the boy's collarbone. "YOU LISTEN HERE BRAT," spat the enraged scientist. "WHEN YOUR ELDERS SPEAK TO YOU, YOU REPLY." He went for his left pocket, dropping the boy as his did.

Taritsu, fearful of his life and unable to see without his protective spectacles, laid in shock of the blurriness and engulfing strong light. Wyle stood idle; the sudden turn of events causing his mind to blank. He urged himself to break Light away from the innocent child, but his body would not respond. "...g-g...et..." his speech was nullified by an unknown force. Rendered useless, all he could do was watch in horror.

"NOW, WHAT DO YOU SAY WHEN SOMEONE ASKS A QUESTION?" Light started as he brought the scalpel out. He saw to it that the boy's perfect body would be useful to his experiments. He hadn't quite found the best subject for the progress he needed, but the boy was perfect from what he tested. The skeletal structure of the kid should had broken with the force he threw him with. And despite the heavy breathing of the child, it was in well condition, though... he did begin to wonder if it was easier from the initial wheezes.

"E-excuse me, Dr Light?" A voice called out. It was not from the boy, but from the entrance opposite of them. "I was wondering if you've seen one of the graduates. He's young, exceptionally so at seven years. Black hair and dark eyes, hair is mid-length to his shoulders, though it protrudes upwards." The young teacher assistant described, rather nervously. It wasn't because of what Xavier Light was doing though; he wouldn't be convicted of what crime he thought of doing. This was merely a typical way people would speak towards the busy man. Then he noticed the figure behind Light, and sort of fidgeted, broadening his eyes as he became aware of the questionable situation.

"W-well," Light looked at the boy behind him. The description provided fitted to exact detail, and smugly he began, "As it turns out, the boy here was trying to conduct an experiment. He had a scalpel, and lord knows how dangerous that is in the hands of someone so irresponsible. He could have harmed himself."

"I-is that so?" The young assistant replied. "Kinda hard to believe as he is Taritsu Rutabaski, the prodigy child and entering freshman in the sciences. Though that is true that his diligent nature would make it believable that he'd conduct work on his own." A bit of anger showed on his face. "Is what he say true?"

Taritsu merely nodded, weakly as he didn't want to cause the trouble to escalate. Fearing the adolescent would also suffer consequences, he stayed mute over the ideal. "I won't do it again." He stated as he retrieved his glasses.

He smiled, crouched on his knees and extended a welcoming hand. "Come now, you wouldn't want to miss the ceremony, would you now?" Taritsu grabbed hold of it, feeling assured that he'd be safer with him. However, before the duo left, the assistant stopped in his tracks. "Weissman? What are you doing standing there? Shouldn't you have left already?" he began venomously.

"Errm...I seemed to have misplaced my work, so I came here in search of the backups I had." He chuckled nervously, "But then I was "_frozen_" by the display here" Wyle said as he gave Taritsu a knowing look.

"Well, I would suggest you return to what you were doing and leave. We're not fond of liars. It corrupts the progress of our society." At that, Taritsu had bowed his head, having pieced what Wyle intended to say, but refrained since the conspirator was still present. "Let's hurry, Taritsu."

* * *

As the assembly ended, the trio left the building as they were now graduates. Taritsu was exceptionally quiet whenever his friends questioned him what happened, and simply played it off by stating he was simply sad about the realization that they wouldn't attend anymore.

"Typical, I would imagine your naivety to cast ignorance of alumni visits." Vejita retorted. However, none of his ongoing explanations were paid heed, as Taritsu had his mind on that man from before. *sigh*'_I wonder why he'd be outcasted..._'

"Sorry guys, I have to do one last thing before we go." He stated, then faced Kakarotto. "When your father arrives, could I speak with him?"

Kakarotto, a bit flushed with the formality of this friend had over what was seemingly simple matters, understood the underlying meaning of his words. It was always a gentle expression and cheeriness that would assure Kakarotto that everything was fine. So naturally, any formality would signify seriousness. "Will do."

Heading towards the outskirts of the campus, Taritsu confronted the person of interest: Weissman Wyle. His eyes gave off a look of distraught, likely from what transpired earlier, but also due to his loss of career. Not registering the young child walking towards him, he grunted, and then bent over to carry his belongings. However, he did not feel his belongings there. '_What? WHY ME?_'

"This is interesting stuff here... Dr. Wyle," Taritsu began, but was cut short.

"Weissman Wyle. I'm no doctor, at least... not anymore..." Wyle muttered. Albeit he didn't deserve the punishment, he couldn't bear being referred as 'doctor' by the boy who he couldn't save.

"Ridiculous, you are a doctor." Taritsu defended, "from what I could infer of your research, you are a biological physicist. And I wouldn't be too ashamed of the 'fate' befallen on you. This place is unsuitable for you anyway."

Weissman, baffled on the praise and absurd notion of disregarding the prestigious community of his former institute, chuckled. '_Figures. I would imagine such an attitude compliment this kid. He'll be going places._' "I'm sorry, but my career is over-"

"SO ANOTHER BEGINS." He grinned. It was a radiant smile, one of innocence that could almost pass as one that hadn't been lost. Except, Weismann comprehended that the child was in denial. He picked up what he could of Weissman's work, and signaled for him to follow. "You could work for us, well... my uncle- but he's not my uncle by relation."

They stopped when they were in the presence of a man in his mid 40s. He wore a white lab coat, with a light purple shirt with wide black pinstripes. Weissman felt as he recognized him, but disregarded it as he couldn't recall. "Hello uncle."

*faltering* "Taritsu, you know it isn't right to call me uncle, although I do understand how one would come to such familiarity." Baddack began. He had just finished his reports on the planetary environment, and having done so, came to pick up the kids. "And besides, you explicitly disregarded the fact that going on your own can lead to issues. What if you were hurt? I wouldn't want to think about your parents would take it."

The last remark made Taritsu glance at the floor, but he couldn't lament on the past. He had a task at hand. "Baddack, I request that you consider allowing Weissman Wyle a position." His eyes were full of confidence and determination to see this through. Taritsu indeed inherited that from his mother, no doubt.

Baddack gave the man in question a look over. Then he quietly scolded himself for doubting the boy. '_As if he would have bad judgement._' "Alright, but I need to know what field of work he had prior."

"Biophysics." Wyle quickly blurted. "I specialize on robotics, though I have knowledge on other areas of my field. I was researching the creation and applications of artificial intelligence."

Chuckling to himself of the man's honesty, Baddack turned and walked. "Well, come to my office in Grosseto. We can speak freely about things there." He stated. "besides.. I do not enjoy the prying eyes of vultures." He softly muttered. "Come now, Taritsu. Your parents are waiting. I believe they want to talk with you today- as you now have siblings."

Taritsu returned the work to the rightful owner, gave Weissman a parting smile, and followed his honorary uncle. '_I sure hope he doesn't spiral into cynical snides. Misfortune doesn't suit well for such an innocent. But with him being a prodigy, I would imagine he'd make a change for a better world than what we currently have._'


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**These turn of events...**

* * *

**September 1, 2001**

Out in the fields of Orietur Valley, a family was gathering. It was an isolated household, left to the posterity of Rutabaski, and was the favorable location for the current family- Rutabaski-Kaido -as they had considerable reasons for the concerns of the primogeniture. However, the nature of this gathering was not due part of the first born; it was actually the upcoming conference at the WTC in Empire City, Sagratia.

"Are you really sure about leaving the children here, Sedrick?" asked his father-in-law. Daisuke had offered in looking after his three grandchildren: 10 year old Taritsu Maurice Kyousuke, and the twins- Alexander and Aliya. His daughter disagreed due to his responsibility with Boruvia, and it wouldn't have done well on his on-off deteriorating health. The raspy coughs testified the situation. "They'd be under the best security at all times."

Sedrick chuckled while picking the documents. His in-laws were finicky about the wellbeing of heirs, and he could understand where he was coming from. However, from time to time they were being checked on by their Great-Great-Grandmother, Valeria. One would think that Valeria was the Matriarch of the Rutabaski Clan, but that was dubiously incorrect.

The technicality here was that Valeria was the younger sister of their Great-Great-Grandfather, Tarique the warrior prince. His sacrifice in the last World War led to a period of political tension, as the Rutabaskis never supported females. Yet Valeria had proven herself on her own and had even retired early; the only times she did show up publicly was either to step in and call out an outrageous stance on an issue, or stand-in whenever the rightful Rutabaski Ambassador was incapable- even now as a 94 year old.

"It's alright Kaido-san," Sedrick insisted he'd take a rest, but the old man was stern when it came to responsibility. It was like he needed to atone his past, but no one could blame him for those misdeeds. The only one who could would be Valeria, but she had already forgiven him as it was typical for an adolescent to slack off. "But if you do wish to help us, please have hotel rooms arranged for us when we return. A second honeymoon would be worth all this trouble." He stated while giving his wife Yanagi a suggestive look. She gave him a playful smack, remembering how much he would always have something in store for her as part of the romantic advances he'd present. She was incredibly fortunate those advances were only acted upon for her, as it was sort of an unnatural fixation he had of her, never having eyes for another woman.

Whilst the adults conversed, a young carbon copy of Yanagi walked up to her father and pulled on his coat. Obliging to her request, he picked her up so she would better project herself, "Oniichama will play with us right?"

"Yes. It isn't like he could ignore his siblings, now. Just remember one thing Aliya: Your older brother will stay with you two if you head out, but do not bother your brother when he's on his 'alone' time. Got that?"

She nodded, understanding that Taritsu was a busy child; having jumped years in education meant school was to be taken seriously, but even as a senior in college didn't make him more dutiful to class. He instead opted for labs and project based classes, since he could do that all in his free time. Apparently he had a bad time adjusting to the classroom atmosphere, which made Yanagi worry that he was being bullied or worse, but his reasons were simply he couldn't stay cooped up in confined place when he could barely see. Sedrick didn't bother questioning the reasoning, but Yanagi did have an uneasy feeling about his wellbeing. It just wasn't dire enough that she'd use her special ability to coerce a confession from him.

"_Ciao padre_, you're honestly heading to that conference?" exclaimed the young Taritsu. He wanted to head as well, to interact with the scientific leaders of the world, but he couldn't with all the work he had, added to his duties as an older brother. "At least bring something back."

"What could I bring to a 10 year old? Uranium?" *scoffs* He flaunted a pose, typical of an experienced Rutabaski. "You're lucky enough to be in a university as a 10 year old, and yet you're yearning for more. Do with what you have, _ragazzo_." Sedrick then kissed his twins goodbye and gave his son the two-finger salute he was known for. "Let's go, Yana."

They left, leaving only Valeria and the three children in the household. Taritsu was about to head back to his workstation until he remembered there was one last thing he wanted to ask his mother. Running past the door in blitz speed, he caught up to the group before they entered the limo. "_Madre_, I almost forgot, but did _Zio_ Baddack say he would be taking both children?"

Yanagi held a sad look as it was hard for her, knowing that Baddack had planned on leaving his children, but as the departure date neared, he grew reluctant on leaving the youngest one. It was highly probable he wouldn't now; Baddack had an eerie chill thinking about Kakarotto staying, so he must have decided by now. "I believe he has," she casually told him. "We'll return in 10 days. At best."

* * *

Entering the house from the day's lessons, Taritsu went straight to his room. Annoyed that his parents had to go on another political business trip, he sighed and laid in bed. In his hands was a pendant of gold with archaic design. As far as the anthropological research had gone to solve what the language and message was on the jewelry, it was concluded that it was not of _H. Luminous_ origin. Yet Taritsu was given a different explanation when his grandfather spoke to him of the pendant.

_'Hmm? You don't recall a few months ago, when we went to Chihaba? It was during the summer, Kyousuke, that you wanted to train in sword play. I brought you to the training grounds, you excelled and mastered the skills, but then when you went off on your own, you met this girl. Now...what was her name again?'_

_He didn't immediately understand what his grandfather was talking about, since the events were a bit fuzzy in his mind. Albeit he had remembered the training, he couldn't exactly agree as the name was on the tip of his tongue, since he had spoken to her with a nickname he gave. Morishita, yu or was it yuki? He cursed his memory. _

_Briefly he started to remember what little details her name might have had. A cry-baby, that was a given for the impression she had on him. He had associated it with the meaning of the name he gave her, but ultimately cast away the thought as he rediscovered her legal name. 'Wasn't it Euphie, Jii-san?'_

_'Ah, of course! She was with you for the majority of the summer, and you two became well acquainted. I was surprised myself that the girl was around the forest grounds; the wild game could had gotten to her if it wasn't for your fateful encounter.' Daisuke informed his grandson. He was incredibly bemused by the boy's insistence that she'd be given the same respect as the servants had towards him. Almost as if he had chosen his life partner, Taritsu had given Euphie a memento that matched with the pendant he mysteriously attained in their last weeks of the excursion. Now, it was further amusing hearing that his grandson had totally forgotten that happened. _

_'Listen Kyousuke,' Daisuke leaned closer when his daughter's servants entered the room. She would probably report to Yanagi and further escalate the situation from what it was. 'If you make a promise to someone, do your best to keep it.'_

_'I will Jii-san.'_

Smiling, Taritsu placed the pendant back around his neck and walked downstairs to where his siblings were. The three had been bonding closer now, since it had been a couple days since their parents had gone to the conference. They had no friends to play with during the mornings when Taritsu had to head out to school, so he had Vejita, and at times Taresu (Baddack's first cousin once removed), take care of them until their Great-Aunt Valeria arrived. Today was no different, but Taresu did return later in the evening with important goods.

"Took you long enough." he grunted in response whilst entering the home, placing a package delicately on the kitchen counter.

"This arrived for your father today. Apparently it was rushed delivery, despite being labeled 'caution'. I'm not one to pry, but it does seem out of the ordinary to have something like this mailed in such a timely fashion." Inquired the young adult. "Just so you know, I checked it. They're chemicals, so don't leave them out here for your siblings. _Ci vediamo_."

'_Taresu you idiot. Why didn't you stay outside where fumes wouldn't be dangerous then?_' Taritsu scolded in his thoughts. He excused himself from the house and went out to the designated lab built away from the home. It was custom fit for his variety of experiments, better than that in the university even, despite the size. His siblings knocked on the outer door, having an appetite for his specialty dinners. "Alright. Just remember that this will be the last time you two will get Lasagna. _Madre e Padre_ return tomorrow."

* * *

Across the Ixen Ocean, in the Brass Heights Hotel in Empire City, Sagratia, the Valognas and Rutabaskis slept peacefully in their designated rooms. Except for one.

This was Kakarotto, who had trouble sleep as...she apparently couldn't handle staying incognito of her gender?

"I know _Père_ wanted me to avoid others knowing that I'm a girl, but it's really uncomfortable, _fr__ère_." She told the ghostly figure by her. Ever since she was born, there was always this presence of another being looking after her. Though not malevolent as some people have told her when she tried to subtly explain the situation, the so called 'wraith' actually revealed himself as her deceased elder brother, the real Kakarotto.

"You made it this far, and I'm not going to tell you to continue this charade during the night. Just remember not to let anyone figure out whose kid you are if they do see you. _Père's_ efforts in your safety would be for nothing, Charlotte."

He disappeared from view once his sister understood the implications and let her do as she wished. Charlotte explored the area freely, taking note of the interior design that she found pretty, but soon found herself thirsty. Heading for the nearest drinking fountain, she soon found herself discovered by another girl who had also left her room.

"..." she couldn't think of anything to say, afraid that she would report her for any misconduct. Honestly, Charlotte had nothing to fear; raised as a well-mannered child, there was nothing at fault for the young Valogna. Yet she had a flaw that stemmed from her insecurity of trying to please others, worrying that she may have left a bad impression on the elder girl. She had raven black hair and donned a pink beret, matching the long sleeve sweater and tee she wore. A quizzical look of hers dropped the anxiety levels of Charlottes.

Mustering her courage, she introduced herself. "My name's Kakarotto. I'm here with my father, Baddack Valogna." She mentally panned, regretting the choice she made in stating the name and not concealing her gender. "What's yours?"

The raven girl fumbled with the object under her clothes. Down dropped a silver pendant, striking a resemblance to one she had seen before. Charlotte lent a hand, having picked the jewelry, only to have it ungratefully taken a moment after. Shocked at first, Charlotte held her remark, noting how the girl held the object dearly. '_It's definitely of sentimental value._'

After finally settling to her comfort, she answered, "Stephanie Chandler." It was meek, hinting the qualifications of a proper lady. Anyone would simply conclude that was the reason for her tone, but Charlotte was different. Stephanie was not entirely open of herself, albeit Charlotte wasn't either, but this was more in the sense that Stephanie had this guarded demeanor. Her wavering blue eyes confirmed her suspicions, implicating the shielded personality Charlotte could see in an early development.

An uncomfortable silence fell between them. It would had stayed that way, but with a bit of coaxing from Charlotte's amiability, a conversation stirred.

The two were getting along finely, unaware of the time breezing past them. It was when a worker making the scheduled rounds that they departed. "It was nice meeting you Stephanie. Let's talk again tomorrow."

Stephanie waved her new friend off with a gradual decrease in enthusiasm as they each entered the rooms respectfully. Perhaps not all people would scorn one for being exceptional.

* * *

Inside the WTC 32nd floor hall, the eastern air duct propped open, allowing an awaiting agent to begin his mission. On his codec, the objectives from his superiors were displayed. '_You're sure about this. If I were you I wouldn't leave a mission like this up to one person you know._'

'_Don't think about it Luke. We're currently working on evacuation procedures; just do your part and get us the intel._'

Luke Stintson, a level 3 B.A.L.M. agent who had been recruited after the successful cracking of their little code games, was currently in search of the "World Utopia Supremacist Society" otherwise known by their self-given name "Purifiers". Decades ago they tried to mass expose young children to a super serum for recruitment, but the plans flopped. B.A.L.M. cracked down on the advocates, but never really gotten any closer to bringing the terrorists down. Until recently, the society was safe on their personal servers, but thanks to Stintson's ingenious cracking of their firewalls, the organization found an opportunity to strike them in the act.

Luke rummaged throughout the building, stealthily avoiding detection. He continued upwards until an impassable compartment blocked progress. *sighs* "Why did it have to be a vault?"

'_Stintson. Status report._'

'_I got a cast iron vault, Sparks. I'm equipped with tools for electronics primarily. Busting through this door will take a while, but the noise will arouse suspicion._' Luke took a look around, then out the side windows. '_If I may inquire sir, it's likely to head to the higher floors._'

A moment passed before Luke received further instructions. '_Stay where you are Stintson. I've got another agent heading your way. Stryder will aid you on the mission from here. Remain alert._'

'_Will do sir._'

* * *

The twins slept peacefully at night while I had gone into the living room to read one of my favorite novels. Summary wise, it wasn't very much to pique one's interest, but it had an incredible plot. I couldn't remember the name of it, but the story shared a few interesting facts I could relate to. Almost like a strange allegory, the contents of the inverse history sort of suggested one like my family. A bizarre series of succession, strange abilities and battling of supernatural foes, this was a family full of badasses.

I progressed in my readings, enjoying the fantasy aspect of the story. Although most people who know me believe I detest anything not faintly scientific, very few understood how I felt towards it. What I truly disliked was pseudoscience-it promoted confirmation bias, further deviating me from separating the idiocracies and facts of the world apart. My family was religious, or at least they are deemed religious, but I lacked faith. Then again-when did I have faith? Was I always like this, or-

_Shhhhnnt!_

I heard the door to the lab slam open again. I thought I had locked up, but the latch broke with the ever increasing winds. Best to store the chemicals away so they don't contaminate anything. As I had predicted, the identity of these compounds were rare biomolecules: ranging from Adenosine to Tyrosine. I thought it was weird that my father was sent these molecules; he wasn't a chemist, and certainly didn't research any medical treatments.

I continued my task until an ever increasing volume distracted my senses. I cursed my peak-condition senses I inherited from my parents. At times, being able to catch up to a speeding car was great and all, but since I had an imbalance with my eyesight-the cursed sensitivity to light that made me rarely use my sight-my other senses improved drastically. Considering the fact there was no significant vibrations on the floor that would easily identify the noise as another person, I felt a great chill. There was something with me. Watching me.

'_Damn. I really wished gramps taught me his ability by now. Defeating a biological god. Now that's something._'

The '_presence_' continued to move, making me uneasy. The fear I had of this unknown was so great, that I had jumped from my position hearing the lightning strike. The spilling of the containers shook my fears away for the more immediate and rational one. The first rule of science was always having safety precautions, and if broken, rectify the issue through proper conduct.

Swiftly putting away the rest of the containers to the best of my abilities during the timeframe, I rushed into the emergency shower station. However, in hindsight, I shouldn't had gone to the closest one-the one under the skylight. It felt like I collided with the wall, having a surge of electrical energy burst through my body. This dazed my comprehension: the lightning didn't deliver the pain but the collision did. My knowledge of lightning strikes on organisms was a lie.

After a while, I tried to move, but found myself in paralysis. My body was tense, as expected to result from dealing with that electrical excess. Feeling returned soon, and I felt something warm and wet...and an eerie amount of viscosity in touching it. I took a look at my lower body...and couldn't believe that I was still awake despite observing the pints of blood that had gushed out from a broken link that teared through.

'_Shouldn't...shouldn't I be dead?_'

"Technically you would." Immediately voiced an unknown entity.

My thoughts raced.

No one would had been up at this hour, and even if they were, the house was secluded from town. These bone-chilling obscenities clouded my mind, backlashing any sense of hope I had...

...until the shadowy figure cleared.

"Kakarotto?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**...can't be real, can they?**

* * *

There, in the middle laid a boy, who at first sight would think himself deeply delusional from his accident. You couldn't be more wrong than that. The truth of this matter was, that boy was perfectly fine, but neither you nor he would understand the why and how. All that concerned him...was the sudden arrival of his friend: Kakarotto.

"w-what are you doing here?" Taritsu groaned from the delayed headaches rushing in. It was too much for him; first this near death experience and now the unannounced appearance of his friend. Thinking about how last time he spoke to them confirmed they were still in Sagratia of the Ameria continents an hour ago, Taritsu's mind was working out the equations for the transportation speed needed to-

A second wave of pain surged through him. Taritsu's breathing went raspy as he tried to hold his voice. "Never mind that." Kakarotto moved his friend onto his side, easing the pain. He knew fair well that this was just his dormant abilities kicking in, so he couldn't die, at least not from something miniscule for their species. "You need some rest."

Feeling relaxed, Taritsu calmed as his friend had inched closer, as if letting him in a secret. "If I were you, I'd definitely need it to save the-

But darkness set in before he heard the last part of that sentence.

* * *

**brrrrt brrrrt**

In the Valogna residence, a lone adult quietly woke up to the ringing of his cell. This was Cheisu, Baddack's oldest son, and the one responsible for representing his father at social events which Baddack wished to avoid. Regretting the number of shots he took with the representative of Kairne's energy company, he answered the call.

"This is Cheis."

"Cheisu." Abruptly began Kairne's current Army General. His name was Vasilis, the younger brother of the former late General, Thomas V. Pioneeri. "I need you to check on the Rutabaskis."

*yawning* "What for? They're in another continent you know-"

"NOT THEM YOU FOOL." a quiet pause let Cheisu know this was seriously about the other ones. "Surveillance has indicated something happened at the lab by the cottage just minutes ago. I just" He would had finished, but opted to withhold the thought. Three years ago during an AN conference, one of the more publically favorable generals who he had exiled for having accused the Rutabaskis of treason when Taritsu was born, tried to enact justice himself. It was ridiculous but public opinion agreed with him that they were raising Taritsu as a weapon who'd bring armageddon. That, with the ancient descriptions of their ancestor's scriptures of apocalyptic warriors, had almost cost the life of the young champion-to-be. If it hadn't been for Cheisu's ability and quick thinking, the boy would had been...

No, he could not fall into guilt. Vasilis had set up many contingencies to protect both the Goddess's Champions and her children, the common person.

"-I'll be there in 20 if I take the cycle." Cheisu's reply conveniently eased his fears. "But if I'm caught going over the speed limit, it's on you," he joked.

"Thanks for doing me this favor, Cheisu."

* * *

Arriving at the Rutabaski residence after 35 miles, Cheisu quickened his pace, rushing through the door and witnessing the mess before him. Paying no heed to that, he searched for signs of classifying this as theft or even...murder.

Breathing stopped.

There...

in the pool of blood...

laid the young child on his side.

'_CRAP. CRAP. CRAP._' Cheisu hesitated on confirming the truth, fearing the worse. He placed his hand on the boy's back, finding out the breathing was still strong. '_Good. At least Vasilis would be at peace with this._' While he contacted the general, he took a look at what was in the boy's hand.

'_A shower head?_'

**click**

"Speak to me, Cheisu."

Cheisu obliged, informing the general what he discovered and awaited orders on what to do. While he waited, the boy began to stir. Groggily, he tried to stand, only to hiss at the pain in his abdomen.

"Let me see," Cheisu commanded softly. He lifted the bloody shirt, seeing only a bruise where he expected wounds. Looking at the boy, he saw an expression of disbelief, and heard his faint muttering, "_did I dream the chain link boring through me?_"

"Oi, Cheisu." answered Vasilis, "I take it you have news. Talk to me friend."

"Well," he began while taking note of what he knew. "I'm not exactly confident this was a break in, but the tapes could reveal the whole story..." He went silent after stating that. It was obvious that Vasilis could had remotely checked the footage, but why didn't he?

"Just so you know, the power went out at the moment I was notified of the incident. Strange thing is, even the backup generator was fried. We're lucky I still have a wireless sensor underground. Picked up some nasty spikes in the ph readings."

Things started to connect for Cheisu once that tidbit of info was shared. The power going out, the boy lying listless with a showerhead; this wasn't a homicidal act that had been fortunately averted. He saw a bright glint from the far corner of the room. Shuddering at what he saw, it was the link Taritsu had muttered about. "Vasilis. Can a child end up unscathed despite having a projectile shot at them?"

"Huh, by what do you mean?"

Cheisu felt himself swallow something bitter. No doubt Vasilis would prove him wrong. "Let's say a growing boy was shot through his internal obliques. Could he survive with just a simple bruise?"

The connection wavered as static built up. The source: strangely- the boy.

"Wait inside the cottage. I'll be there." stated the general as he understood the implications of Cheisu's phrase.

* * *

"How are you feeling now?"

Taritsu could barely speak. His head hurt, muscles ached, fingers were twitching, and worse of all, he felt a strange increase in hunger. Swift with his words, he chose the best method of conveying the message. "_Abnormal._"

Cheisu didn't fully grasp the intended meaning, but he could tell the kid was shaken up. The best he could do was understand the boy had a sore throat, so he brought him bottled water. Handing it to him, he felt the discharge of static energy between them, causing him to jump from the shock.

"CRAP, I BROKE YOUR PARENT'S PRICE-less..." was his immediate reaction to knocking into the counter, and the resulting vibration sending the china off their respected cabinets. A second later, they were stacked neatly on the counter. '_Something_ _weird is going on._'

The abrupt end to Taritsu's finger twitches caught his eyes. Instead, the boy stared at his limbs, realizing that the aching in his muscles were also fading. Clearing his throat as best as possible, he projected his needs. "I'm craving something to eat, Cheis."

Cheisu complied, serving the boy a crudely made, yet satisfying sandwich due to the dimmed lighting. One moment it was complete, the next it was all gone. He didn't even see the kid chew!

"Ugh, this is too much for me. When is Vasilis arriving?"

As if it was coordinated, Vasilis entered the home, followed by his son Vejita. "Why did I have to come along, dad? It's not like this is worth throwing my sleep off schedule."

Vasilis quickly scolded the older boy. True, Vejita valued following a training schedule, but he'd have a lot to learn before taking the family mantle. "You're here because he is just as much your friend as he is your superior."

*sarcastically* "_I almost forgot this dweeb's inferior._"

"WHAT WAS THAT." Vasilis's stern words brought Taritsu's hands to his head. He discovered sound was augmented for him drastically now. Seeing this, Vasilis hastily took his son's headset and placed it on the boy. However, instead of staying put, Taritsu disappeared for a second, then showed up again, having checked on the twins.

Perplexed, the bickering pair had given up, now intrigued by the abilities of the kid.

"I think we'll need to run tests on him," were the first words Vejita said after the silence. He was met with a prompt slap to the back of his head. Rubbing it, he backed down, allowing the two older males to figure this out on their own.

They went on to dispute whether he had electrical augmentations, a systemic imbalance that affected his nervous system, or somehow achieved brief spurts of temporal control. This made Vejita shake his head in annoyance. One glance on the kid was all he needed to know about his newfound ability. "He hasn't mutated."

Vasilis and Cheisu turned around, now fascinated by the teen's deduction. Knowing they were attentive, he began his analysis. "From what you said earlier before, dad, there was an electrical blackout. The lab was left in ruin from the proper organization it would normally be in, and the ph levels spiked." He then spoke to Cheisu, "Then, according to you, the fool muttered something along the lines of 'was the link a dream?', and subsequently after that you found _that_ with flesh." Lifting the younger boy's shirt, the group saw the bruise-or rather where it was supposed to be at.

"B-But how can that be? How can a bruise disappear in such a short amount of time?"

"Simple, Cheis, simple." Vejita then swung his fist to test his conclusion. Unexpectedly, he found himself thrown into a headlock at that same moment.

*gasping* "His... abilities... accelerated." Hearing those words, Vejita was dropped at once. Taritsu wondered how he had augmented his physical condition, and what extent was his new limits. He considered trying out how restricted his abilities were taking off the limiter his parents had on him, but never once did he actually go through with it. Now, he didn't have to as he basically 'bypassed' the limiter.

His thoughts were running wild. So much in fact, that he soon became delighted in being able to dual process equations at the same speed he'd easily blaze with before. However, these were abruptly halted once he caught onto the image of his friend when he was injured inside the lab. At that point, the sentence he was hearing before he passed out was slowly constructing itself. "GENERALE VASILIS" He began whilst stating as he solved the small clue. "Dobbiamo - andare - in - Ameria - e - salvare - gli - altri!"

The others barely understood that he spoke the native tongue of Kairne, mainly as his speech blurred, so he wrote it down for comprehension.

"Why exactly?" Vasilis wouldn't exactly be up to engaging in taking the blind leap. He needed reasons, grounded in actual concern and imminence. The last time he engaged in such behavior was the last he'd seen his older brother.

'_I don't know if telling them about Kakarotto being here should make my case reasonable or delusional. Still-best to be out with it._' He printed the reasons once again to avoid losing valuable seconds.

The two Pioneeris looked at him as if he'd lost his mind, but Cheisu had a wide look. For Taritsu to have seen Kakarotto only meant one thing...

His senses were strong enough to now see what others can not, just as his family.

There and then, he understood as well that the message was very grave. So Cheisu did what he knew best- contact his superiors.

"What're you up to now?" Vejita found the older male's shrewd behavior irritating. He was met with a pulled fist, stopped only 3 centimeters from his face. Finally, he had received the reassuring reply. They wouldn't have to worry about the family for now. However, Taritsu made a foul face, dissatisfied with the lazy-albeit convenient-copout. '_There's more to this than just their safety isn't there. I hope father can forgive me when he finds out._'

"General Vasilis sir," Cheisu steeled himself from shaking. If his nerves gave out on him now, how would he be able to stay responsible for the young champion. "I will require the use of the X-T."

Choking on his saliva, Vasilis found himself saved by his quick thinking son who took this opportunity to put in a few hits under the guise of "aid". Just as he was about to get another hard smack in, Vejita was hindered by the fiery scowl of a typical Pioneeri. Finally settled, he began, "Of course, it's in the hangar." Grabbing himself an apple, he began to slice it. Knife in hand, he made a quick incision on Taritsu.

"Father, are you mad!" Vasilis countered with a raised hand. True, the boy was bleeding, but the healing process was exponentially greater. Handing the kid a slice, he needed to see if his hypothesis was true.

cruunch cruunch gulp

The incision finished healing as Taritsu had ingested the apple slice. Now Vasilis understood how this would work. "Vejita, quickly gather a bunch of snacks."

"What for dad," growled the teen. He couldn't see how food would work better than medical supplies. "I don't think consumption would work with bullets through your gut."

He did raise a valid point.

'_To hell with that. He just needs an energy source to compensate for the matter used in his accelerated healing factor._' "Just do as I say," was his muffled command from the basement. Down there was a collection of uniforms that Taritsu would need. Not one of these were viable for his size, except for a navy parka. "Here, you'll be wearing this." Next, Vasilis checked the bathroom cabinets for bandages. "wrap these on you. The friction of you running at high speed would harm you, especially since this is a new experience in which no one would anticipate these new top speeds you could have."

"I believe facial protection is next, father. You can check off intense acoustic noise-the bioelectricity of his should also be augmented too." Vejita nonchalantly added. He scoffed at how his father played it off with the stereotypical line of "I was getting to that" and so forth. But when he noticed that all he did was give the ten year old a pair of goggles, he began to freak. "Don't tell me you're leaving him with my headset? Those cost me 3 months worth of work."

Needless to say, Vasilis paid little attention to his son's interjections, with the only retort from him being "did you gather all the snacks?"

Finally, the outfit Taritsu needed was complete.

Or so it was how the general saw it.

"OH MY GOD. WOW FATHER, IT LOOKS GREAT. NOW IF ONLY YOU COULD GET A BUFF MUAY THAI FIGHTER, A MEEK MECHANIC, AND A FEMME FATALE, THEN HIS LOOK WOULD FIT IN."

"QUIET YOU." Vasilis scolded. Turning back, he noticed Taritsu was gone. He could only assume the kid was embarrassed; with a lot of junk on him, even if he was racing through the wind, it'd just add up with the wind drag. "Perhaps I did get a little carried away."

*rolls eyes* "Dad, all he needs is the goggles, a 'two-way' radio headset, and that parka. Really, that's the only thing he'd need to avoid recognition."

"What about the bracers on his arms, boy? Did you just happen to think that no one would recognize him with that." The bracers Taritsu wore were given to them as a tool to limit his enormous power since he was born. Whytte wanted to avoid disaster through corruption of power, so their best course of action was to raise the young champion as any child would normally be. While most Rutabaskis would live under palace life for their childhood while their parents took the mantle as the designated champion (a role akin to ambassador of the goddess, despite most nations mistaking it as kinghood), Sedrick opted to leave his father Greil with the position until Taritsu would come of age.

"Well..." Vejita pulled off his own gloves. "I'll lend him these in the meantime. The size should be enough to cover the bracers."

*Facepalming* '_Only_ _when it's to save face you consider others. What am I going to do with you?_'

Finally, Taritsu returned from his short excursion. With the extra nonessentials in hand, he placed them back where they belonged. Then, once he finished, his reason became clear. "I've decided without those, I'll have a 15% increase to my speed." He yawned, reminding him he hadn't slept since he went out to the lab. "Hey Vejita?"

*eyebrow raised*"Yes brat?"

He ignored the insult. "Would you mind, while I'm gone, looking after my siblings?" Taritsu ended in a hopeful tone.

"He's definitely up to it. I can assure you Vejita will be on his best behavior for the kids." was Vasilis's response before Vejita could voice his. A short glaring contest started between the two, which then finished promptly after.

"Alright, I promise to look after the tikes. Just get off my back for once, sheesh."

* * *

**September 11th, 5:15 am**

In the WTC building, a certain hacker had finished crafting his latest objective. "...aaaaand, done. There. We're good to go." He told his companion, Vincent Stryder. The archer had little experience with technology, but from the explanation he was given by Luke, he agreed that sending a false email to all recipients attending work or conferences today at the WTC would grant them a lower risk of casualties. HQ would commend them for their ingenious plan, but the problem now was making the place look like it was occupied-that way the terrorists wouldn't suspect anything.

"So, uhh. Tell me; how does one make do with an empty building that's supposed to be occupied?" Vincent didn't like short-run plans. They had exponential risks, and if there was one thing he knew about exponential risks, it was that the assassins order trained him to make do with new developments quickly, or suffer failure.

Smirking, Luke pulled out a flash drive. "This here has the code meant to run tasks for 500,000 cycles, which gives us 4 hours until they find out this was a setup. That's assuming they don't suspect this scheme from the lobby alone." Then he rummaged through his bag, pulling out a set of panels. "Now as for the lobby, I'll have these installed so the holograms stay corporeal and realistic without any strain. If they happen to fire at the individual projected, I also had the programing for death."

Stryder blinked for a second, then commended his comrade. For a recent recruit, that plan was very thought out. However, one small detail still bugged him. "What about the upper floors? You don't seem to have enough panels for that."

*chuckling* "Don't worry about that. The technology covers multiple floors with one panel. Besides-Sparks did say he's sending other agents in." He packed his equipment, got up and started on the new objective.

* * *

In the sky above Empire City's bay, the X-T plane was nearing the landing strip. Inside: a young man and his protectorate withstood the six hour flight needed to cross the Ixen ocean. Neither had properly rested, and only the older male was certified to fly the plane, so having to manage the flight non-stop was tricky, but still possible under the nigh-instant learning of the boy, the older male could take his much needed rest. However, since the boy could only pick up a skill after seeing closely how it was executed, he had begun to realize his mistake on letting Cheisu fall asleep. Unlike how he had simply closed his eyes and took a brief nap, Cheisu had no way of waking up.

'_Maybe, if I simply invert the directions needed to take off, I'd be able to land the same way the plane took off._' He started to tilt the yoke, but soon realized it ripped from the sudden jolt the plane had. '_this... can't be good._' Immediately, the plane began to dive, thrusting Cheisu to wake. Fully alert, he did his best to rush through towards the adjacent controls and prevent their spiralling doom.

Nevertheless, what happened inside the plane was unknown to the spectators down below, who among them was Baddack. Cold sweat enveloped his senses as a single thought aroused once recognizing the modified plane as his own son's: '_it can't be real..._'


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Quickster**

* * *

"_...and furthermore, the president has accepted a variety of new college graduates: one even as young at age 14._"

Sagratia's newscasts were weird, according to Vejita's standards. So what if a punk just a few months older than him graduated; he himself was proficient in many skills!

These broadcasts weren't what he was watching for. Since his father left him posted here in the outskirts of town Bacino Beitole, he had no contacts whatsoever with the outside world- unless he counted dial-up. Of course, he completely withheld his outrage, casting away the thought of using that blasted method of internet connection. At home, the internet was premium, although public access to the internet was a rather new commercialized service as of '95. '_Seriously, how can they live like this?_'

The little jingle on the tv indicated "breaking news". Honestly, one really considered why Kairne wouldn't just outright take over their nation by now, but it was clear to most educated individuals of society that the entirety of Sagratia was a laughing stock around the world. Ironically, Vejita found their superiority complex humourous- the thought of which made him paused but then cast it away.

"_...a plane crashed at Empire City's bay this morning. Spectators say the plane suffered from engine failure, although several others have pointed out that it was fired upon..._"

'_There. Now that's something remotely reminiscent of news._' The images on the screen switched to display a video recording of the crash, zooming in to get a clear view of the full details that the aircraft had. Confounded, he looked through his PDA, and coming across the photograph of the X-T Cessna of Cheisu, looked between that and the tv. Not once removing his eyes from the screen, he dialed his father.

"Oi Son, have the kids woken up"

"Nevermind them dad. That isn't important" Vejita cut him off, only to have the same retaliation.

"OH? I guess we both know who's taking care of cleaning duty. The cavern needs some sprucing up, so until that's done, I'm not letting you out of the house. And don't even _think_ about taking the mobile for a spin. Last I need to hear is a report about some innocent delinquent taking it for a joyride then having to explain to the authorities why no charges would be pressed." Was the venomous retort.

Silence from Vejita's part allowed the lower volume of the t.v. set audible to Vasilis on the receiving end. "H-hey, you're actually watching the news," he tried his best to make up to his son for the little rant he had earlier. However, the strained father-son relationship they had was stronger than one wrongfully executed scolding.

"So why did you call?"

* * *

In the rumble of what was the crashed cessna, the young man awoken from their blackout. Slowly but surely, he took off the harnesses from himself, falling to the side of the craft in response to natural law-gravity.

*gak*

He forced his blood down, maintaining the cry of agony since he needed to escape quickly. Getting on his feet, he went back to check if Taritsu was inside, only...

the boy wasn't.

Thoughts racing, Cheisu concluded the young boy was probably thrown under water upon impact, and jumped in with full intention of salvaging his charge.

A suppressed chuckle emanated from behind him. Then, unchecked laughter.

"You could have drowned!" Cheisu defended. He joined the boy and rung his uniform. Having an additional 10 pounds would stunt his performance in the likelihood they were ambushed. Finishing up, Cheisu looked and saw Taritsu already heading towards the bridge. "Wait up, you're forgetting our supplies."

Frowning, Taritsu sped past him, placed all the items on shore, and brought them to Cheisu, just as he took one step back. Indeed, the boy had amazing speed, which extended from his reaction, running, and movement time. It was reminiscent of their fathers: Sedrick was once a crime-fighter known as "Captain Sentinel" and an able one at that.

Rumors still flow around stating his amazing speeds, like dodging bullets at close-range. Baddack on the other hand-he was different; never once did he outright talk to him about his past. Only the short stories his mother told him of the days they met provided clues of a scarred past. That- and a weird habit of Baddack locking himself in a bunker whenever anything remotely significant to the battlefield occupied his mind- left for Cheisu to piece together his father's heritage as a war vet. At least in one way or another.

"By the way, exactly how fast can you go?"

*shrugs* "Don't know. Why? Is there somewhere we need to get to right..." a flock of armoured vehicles stopped short of where they were. "...now?" His tone dropped seeing the passengers inside rush out- at the ready.

Cheisu threw a couple of smoke pellets he had on him, grabbed what little he could, and pulled Taritsu with him into an available waverunner.

The snipers who still had visual on the two targets were ordered to hold their fire. It'd turn out better than expected to hunt down their target and Soldier X in the same area. "We'll simply let them face the head honcho and take them out then."

* * *

It was uneasy for Charlotte to see her father this anxious. He was desperately trying to find an excuse and leave the restaurant of their current meeting; it may have been rude, but Baddack couldn't risk that nerve-racking itch in the back of his mind. Almost as if he were being called back to his habits, he clenched his fists, forcing the protrusions of bone growth to cease before his colleagues took notice of his strained expression.

"...something the matter, Baddack?"

He let out a deep sigh, clearly still frustrated with his instincts set off by his paternal intuition, except-they hadn't a clue. None of them saw the plane crash, granted-they didn't have his vision. '_I thought uncle Roman said I could live peacefully if I followed his suggestions. Guess you can't escape yourself._' "Ah-no. The room is simply stuffy that it must be getting to me." He forced a laugh, excused himself and walked over to his friends.

"Sedrick, Yanagi-san." He began, shielding the pain in his arm. "I'm terribly sorry, but could you keep an eye on...Kakarotto." He finished, wincing as the pain continued to grow unbearable. Fortunately, if the growths did release, he had the old uniform from his previous profession on him. That was his ingenious plan once he exited the building.

Yanagi agreed immediately, whilst Sedrick whispered low enough that only he could hear. "_Just don't knock yourself out._"

The conversation the two had been in dropped with the boisterous remarks of one a few tables down became the apparent centre of attention after Baddack had exited the room. It was coming from his table.

"Can you believe this guy? Ever since we let him into the community, all he's done was gripe of the Global Warming Trend, babbling about our species at fault to all this. You hear the fool cry, 'Hark! For we bastardized our world,' and then happens to be the first to find discomfort." Was the obnoxious rant of one of Sagratia's Leading scientists.

"First to declare us at fault, and then once our index shifts, we're not commended for the contributions on our part. Such an ungrateful cretin." Elaborated another.

Their banter began rousing a wave of mindless crowd intelligence, to the point Sedrick noticed his wife having that morbid expression of hers. Over the 25 years they had spent with each other, there was always that one trait that made Yanagi a charismatic woman: her passion of truth. And Sedrick had experienced how Yanagi handled any that hinder the truth; it wasn't a pretty sight.

"If you were a professional, you'd understand that statistical data cannot predict outcomes from mere samples. What happened in April of 1991 is still regarded as a scientific anomaly- something I'm sure your community would know to look into the specifics to replicate, for the "best intention" of our species of course." The men cast their eyes in shame as Yanagi finished with the wincing fact. "However, you are right in the fact global warming isn't the problem; it's the byproduct of our horrendous tendency to pollute and exploit natural resources-always thinking about now and never the next generation." That sharp wit never betraying that elegant poise of hers. It struck fear on those who she targeted, be it a common criminal or ignorant so-called professional, whereas she influenced those who strived for improvement, which was evident as the display roused up an applause.

One of the individuals who were enthralled by Yanagi happened to be Clarinda Chandler, Stephanies's elder sister by four years. Noticing her mother's glances transfix on her person of interest, Clarinda quickly averted her eyes and feigned ignorance. '_Yanagi Kaido can't be as bad as mother told me._' She eyed her younger sister, who so happened to have the company of a boy with her. This one was currently staring at the exit, with a conflicted look of whether he should stay or act on his concerns. '_Oh. Little sister's interests aren't solely Soren? Maybe I should help her with the skills of entertaining a guest._' She made her way over to the little group, interested on the girl's scandal.

* * *

Three hours had passed since they had prepared the WTC building for enemy infiltration. With state of the art surveillance technology on every floor and a heavy multitude of traps that'd set off taking a massive group of these terrorists, Luke and Vincent had nothing to do but wait. And so they waited...

and waited...

until the traps were set off!

"Did someone go unnoticed?" the exclamation was so loud it almost would had given them away. Realizing this, Luke shut his mouth, then examined the security footage for evidence. It was less than satisfactory. '_Damn, just a rat._' Vincent sighed, disappointed with the uneventful mission this morning. He put the bow away, "I'm going to call Sparks again. The other agents haven't arrived yet either; maybe we intercepted the wrong info."

Bzzzzt Bzzzzt

Luke's codec rang before Vincent could finish the speed dial. Checking it, he saw the title: Unknown. "Who is this?"

"Ah, good. It was taking a while to get a hold of one of your agents, since Agent Zero's codec is out of commision.-"

'_Agent Zero?_' Luke wasn't well acquainted yet to know whether this was a friendly informant or a smug member of WUSS boasting their prowess. Eitherway, he didn't like the fact this individual could hack the channel unauthorized. "Hey, I'm not an aid if I don't get information first. Introduce yourself."

*gruff chortling* "B.A.L.M. sure has gotten new personalities on the team." The voice became comprehensible enough to distinguish gender. "Name's Clandestine, or better yet, as my forerunners reputation precedes me: Demone il volo."

Clandestine. It was a name that struck fear in any with malicious intent, but it was not the man who wore the cowl; the cowl was what they fear. The ideal Clandestine embodied brought hope to those in need, and shed light on the superstitions the masses had of these cowardly crooks, would pass on to new heirs-essentially never letting the "_crusade against crime_" swallowed up by the shadows of history. For him to have contacted Luke as a last resort truly meant something was going down elsewhere.

"I'll be happy to oblige in your aid." Luke signaled for Vincent to get his equipment. "However, my superiors have me stationed at the WTC." Then he shifted his objective, following up with a perfect moral excuse for going against orders. "And as you stated before: _Agent Zero_. You knowing this agent and coming to me as a last resort"

*interrupting rapidly* "third option in the immediate area."

"-should mean that we're at common interest."

"Indeed." Luke then saw as his codec displayed locations of warfare disturbances, as well as live footage of the streets overcrowded with foot soldiers in chase. Who they were chasing exactly? A man in compression clothes and tactical assault vest ran alongside a young boy in a navy parka and runner goggles backed up Clandestine's story. "That man there is Agent Zero. Currently he is under orders by the Kairne military to protect the boy."

Vincent eyed the images in the screen with interest on the child's familiarity. The boy had a resemblance to the brotherhood leader portraits of centuries ago, which despite the quality of these not of the best conditions, still confirmed one fact for Vincent. "This boy's a Rutabaski, isn't he?"

Luke turned to face his comrade, intrigued with the intel he had. One thing about Stryder which made him an enigma was his ties with BALM, and that he held beliefs of a previous organization which he claims to this day as the original creed. You could easily dismiss those tenets as his moral code, but wiser individuals understood what he states were part of global history. Cautiously, he inquired him. "Mind sharing why a BALM agent is with a Rutabaski?"

"Figured you say that," Clandestine grew quiet as he contemplating revealing a fact. "The Rutabaskis have, for a long line of succession, been influential on both the social level of relations and with the hidden sects of a brotherhood of assassins; aka: _Liberalis Circulum_. About a thousand years prior, when The First Rutabaski was selected as Kairne's new king, he declined, stating, "_not one man could have such power, but I can be of influence_" opting as a moral leader and wiseman to the nation's rulers. However, being as it may, this resulted in a _coup d'état _when the brotherhood figured it would have more efficiency if it were to incorporate itself into national security, corrupting the very foundation it was founded upon."

"-until the late 1400s, when the nation rid itself of all ties with the order and cast them off. They reformed and tried to established in foreign lands, but ended unsuccessfully as it was due to one individual who dissolved the faction." Vincent finished for Clandestine.

"Who was it? and how come we still have an assassin's order?" Luke didn't really understand the politics of history when it bordered into the realms of myth.

"There's no record of what his official name was, only that they called him Stryder, which is the namesake of my clan that allegedly boasted to have been founded by him. No one is really sure if that man was real; for all we know, he could have been an amalgamation of people. As for BALM's current establishment; it's safe to say some felt there was a need to fill the void. Such is why we have a reformed version of the order- albeit aloof to the people and more to the common good." Vincent spat the last part reluctantly. It was disgusting to him how they turned a blind eye on critical issues for popular ones.

Laughter came from Clandestine's side. Both men wondered if they were toyed with or the man was starting to crack. Eventually, he calmed to a stop and composed his most serious tone. "Aside from the politics, he's son of Captain sentinel."

* * *

Having thrown themselves into cover from enemy visual, Taritsu looked up to see his friend's brother grasping his shoulder. It was obvious the young man was nicked by a stray bullet, but he showed no symptoms of performance loss. Briefly, he spotted the boy's concern, and then broke contact.

"Cheisu, I"

sshhhhhh

Cheisu made signs for Taritsu to interpret the message. The enemy fire had finished, and it was now evident that they dispatched search teams. '_Crap-baskets. I really don't have much of a choice then._' Cheisu signaled the boy to ready himself for the escape, seeing as they had no chance waiting out here. He grabbed a small rock, aiming for the glass windows of the building beside them.

_Kuh-ssssshhhhhh!_

Immediately, the troops rushed in, ignoring their lurking presence inside the rubble, and inspected the area. "They couldn't have gotten far. Find the boy."

Overhearing that, Taritsu didn't take his leave as Cheisu made created opportunity of escape. Four, five-eight goons went down, but Taritsu was fixated on their comments of needing to capture him. FOR WHAT? He wanted to know.

"What are you doing! GET OUTTA HERE!" Cheisu bellowed. It startled Taritsu out of his contemplation, but he hadn't seen the dart whizzing towards him.

zznt!

He fell, taking the dosage meant for the incapacitation of the boy. Muscles and physical feeling began to reel away. All he could do was lay face first into the dirt, mind raging from the idiotic predicament he found himself in. Cheisu, a level 4 BALM agent, failed in combat.

He failed his mission.

His family.

And most of all...

He endangered the person whom he was trusted with.

"Courtesy of World Utopia Supremacist Society- chemistry warfare division. That little serum I injected you with would normally take a while to take effect on a human. It surprised me to find out you're not genetically normal. A nice addition you'll be; I'll at least figure out how you far so well in combat. To be honest Cheisu: you fight like a beast."

'_Since when have Eudorans been calling themselves humans. Sagratians are a weird bunch._' Cheisu could hear the dishonorable bastard close in on them, taking his haul. He hoped that in all this, Taritsu had at least ran off to safety.

But reality was cruel against expectations.

"Well well well. Seems as I struck fear in the target as well. Thanks to you Cheisu, you let the kid get traumatized, allowing me to rise in rank, as well as gaining access to Soldier X's genetic code."

Never had Cheisu wanted to speak more in his life than in that very moment when he couldn't even perform his involuntary bodily functions.  
"Don't worry. I'll be sure to let him have some 'fun' before he has his share-gwaaaaaah!"

The impact of the blow threw the coward several meters away, and allowed Cheisu to roll on his back to see. It surprised him to see the outstretched fist of his charge. He had that fierce look in his eyes. A hint of green shown in them, as well as a blue hue tinted his hair. However, as it had suddenly occurred, it disappeared, leaving a dazed Taritsu.

Coughing up blood, the once smug coward eyed the warm, red liquid in horror, and in turn fueled his rage. "YOU INSOLENT BRAT. HOW DARE YOU MAKE A FOOL OUT OF ME!"

Reacting quickly, Cheisu mustered what little strength he had in his vocals. "Get us out of here. Now!" Which brought him to the surprise of the ten year old easily lifting all of his one hundred and eighty pound person. Even more- it seemed that he caught speeds rivaling his cycle without hindrance.

Reaching his comlink, one of the fortunate troopers reported his findings. "Damn kid's a speedster," he wheezed out the vital, key words. "... seems to falter when under stressful situations."

"Good, then phase two will be easier once we have both Soldier X and the boy in proximity.

* * *

"So your father, he's never been to Boruvia?" Clarinda inquired.

"Not to my knowledge. I do know my mother was from Boruvia, but that's really all I can tell you." Was the gently reply of Kakarotto. The reality of Charlotte's knowledge was that her mother... had an accident while she was just about due. As such, her father focused his attention on his only daughter's safety, even going as far to secure not a single male would take advantage of his sweet girl.

Clarinda eyed her with suspicion. There was a familiarity surrounding the kid before her. It frightened Charlotte. '_She's dangerously insightful._'

Before any of that could develop any further, Soren pointed out the woman coming their way. This brought Clarinda's inquisition to a halt, and a small giggle to the children who witnessed her composure change. '_As expected, aunt Yanagi always puts people in line._'

"Yanagi-sama, what brings you here? Did you finish your meeting?"

She nodded, explaining how her husband was laying out the last of the terms before the contract could be agreed upon. Unlike her style of making things strictly from the interpretation of contracts form the basis of the deal, Sedrick didn't end on his behalf so cut and dry. He'd enjoy gaining their trust and agreement through amiable treatment, never withholding information. And despite this contract being one of their nation's international security, she understood the men couldn't feel entirely safe due to one small problem: her son.

IT WAS PREPOSTEROUS! For grown men to fear a child simply because of religious superstition, Yanagi just wanted her first born to live a peaceful life. But even she knew that he'd have to face his own problems, so she allowed Sedrick to propose an ultimatum.

"...enough of that though. I'm also here because your father asked me to look after you for the moment." Yanagi settled down at the table. The children, wide eyed, admired her beauty up close; the icy blue eyes of hers were said to complement the natural royal purple associated with her hair, along with her matching attire of a skirt and jacket. Strangely enough, she was promptly tugging at the yellow scarf of hers, loosening it in a rude manner, but dismissed it as she explained it was "stiff," much to her preferences.

She noticed the group flustering with her there, and figured she hadn't properly introduced herself. Mustering a motherly tone, Yanagi prompted the children to comply in the conversation. Giving out their names and a small insight as to what their parents did, Yanagi found herself awaiting the response of a young boy, no more than a year older than her son. His wild, tousled, yet tamed blonde locks bared resemblance to the description of her in-law's deceased friend from the stories of his youth. It compelled her to confirm the suspicions.

...Kaede Chandler had other intentions though.

"Yanagi-san, I never expected you to have attended. How many years has it been?" The social mask she had could fool anyone, but not Yanagi. This was one of the reasons that led to her detest for falsehood. This little charade had pulled their friendship apart when Yanagi chose to "dishonor" her family-as Chandler put it. Truth of the matter was, she was jealous of how everyone threw their affections towards her, completely shunning Kaede as she was overshadowed by her superiority. How it pained Yanagi when she knew Kaede had begrudgingly broke ties due to that insecurity.

'_She_ _has all these children under her spell._' Yanagi looked over all the children's expressions, finding Kaede a honorable role model-except for two females. They bore resemblance to the woman; obviously they must have been her children. Kakarotto on the other hand, looked bothered for some reason. An inaudible murmur left her lips as she spoke to the youngest of the Chandler sisters next to her. "It's been twelve years, if I'm not mistaken."

"Ah, yes." Kaede spoke with genuine nostalgia, but both Yanagi and Clarinda could sense the laced bitterness in her words as she spoke amiably of their relationship. She then repeated her opening statement, apologizing for any aggression she might have imposed.

"I'm a legal adviser."

...

...

...

Kaede couldn't believe her forgotten friend had that kind of profession. She expected her to have a political position much like her father, but to stay on the sidelines? She noticed her elder daughter give her a dissatisfied smile; at the rate she was leading the conversation, Kaede would lose her daughter's respect. She had to act quickly.

"Well. It's like you always wanted, Yanagi-san. You get to leave your responsibilities to your husband, yet keep a profession that aids his." She gave that charming smile that melted any animosity between her and the company of individuals she had. It almost concluded her victory, until she saw how Clarinda admired her. Anger swelled, but she swallowed her pride, opting for the proper social escape. "Amaya. Euphemia."

The girls complied with their mother. It was best not to rebel against the silk hiding steel. Clarinda was first to get up, though her expression did not go unnoticed by Yanagi. Stephanie lingered a bit, wanting to confirm if Kakarotto could meet her again in a few weeks, but ultimately gave in to her mother's demands. It made Yanagi's heart clench to witness the sight. '_Why_ _did she sacrifice her compassion for prestige?_'

These thoughts were dismissed with the sudden resonating busting of the ballroom doors. Clad in dark uniforms, the organized invasion of WUSS members rushed in, weapons at arms. With their sights and several groups taking position to block the exits, the commanding officer walked forward.

"Sedrick Rutabaski. You're coming with us."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Raise the Stakes: part one**

* * *

Taritsu dashed through the streets, expertly navigating around the moving vehicles and pedestrians through the use of his dual processing mind. However, because of the unwarranted restrictions of his speeds, Taritsu garnered the attention of the authorities rather quickly. He couldn't stop though; his thoughts were on one thing.

Save his family.

'_If they came after me, someone who just got here, then they should have also planned something about my parents._' He knew they could handle themselves. However, if they were still at a social gathering, their battle tactics would orient more on the defensive than they'd like. It'd split his father and mother apart, drastically lowering their advantage over the threat. 'Maybe, they could have gone to a restaurant or something.'

Halting in an isolated area, he called Vasilis through the emergency frequency he was told to use. It panged him with guilt seeing Cheisu immobilized by the serum. '_If only I hadn't froze up like that. I know I'm great at academics, but why am I so useless when it comes to applying myself?_'

Vasilis answered after a few seconds, then immediately assessed the situation. "What happened?"

"Cheisu's been shot; it's a serum unknown to me. What I figure is it inhibits the body's motor-functions. Assuming that it's bringing him pain to even speak, I'm afraid that it might permanently disable him."

"Don't worry about that, Taritsu. Cheisu's physical conditions will prevail. He is his father's son, and he's gone through worse. It'll take a few minutes, but his neurotransmitters should function properly again." Vasilis then paused. He couldn't decide whether to have him hide, or reunite with his parents. Best course of action was to have those BALM agents protect him while he got there.

"Listen: I have contacted two colleagues of Cheisu's. They should arrive to your location shortly. What I want you to do is leave Cheisu behind in a secluded area, preferably one where it's difficult to get to; he'll rest there." The connection wanned as static accumulated. "...-to your parents."

A bit confused with what he heard, Taritsu had to be told twice if he understood. "Sì." He replied with vigour, then returned to a stammering tone. "b-but how will I know who these colleagues are?"

At the sound of those words, Luke and Vincent dropped in from above. The hacker chided his partner for the surprise drop, having not warned him of the highly serious physical activity they were engaging in without softening their landing. Vincent groaned, seeing as he had his sights on staying on track with the mission. Looking after this kid would risk success.

"Oi. Kid, what's happened to agent Zero?"

"His senses are impaired. You were lucky to have crossed paths with the duo, since the boy here was running at approx. 170 kilometers. Satellite confirms it."

"Carrying a full grown man in uniform?" Vincent was impressed. Not many assassins could pick up a man weighing 90 kg and run at their best speeds, but the young Rutabaski boy could do it and hadn't even lost his breath. The rumors of their lineage was true.

"There's no doubt about it," Vasilis confirmed. This was going to be a risky move, but if he left Taritsu to choose the rest area, it'd expose them. '_I'd better leave him to the responsibility of these two._' "Hey. Listen carefully, all of you. I'm trusting you two to handle this, so one of you will take care of 'Agent Zero' whilst the other looks after the kid. Take him as far away from the battlefield. The world already has too many issues; it needn't fear for new developments."

"Wouldn't count on that, bub"

The owner of the voice came from none other than a man in a black mesh suit with yellow highlights. His hair was a bit riled up, obviously from the need to rid himself of the styling gel he had earlier. And despite his voice had undergone that rough tone he used to have in the past, it still had that familiarity. Taritsu caught up on all the clues he needed to conclude that this was a friend, not foe as Vincent had assumed with his bow aimed.

"Don't shoot!" He positioned himself in front of Baddack. "He's family," spat out the urgency from the kid's mouth. Turning about, he began to inquire why Baddack was here, and not in his best clothes at the conferences. '_Did he see our accident?_' The sound of Vasilis's words brought him out from the contemplation.

"Baddack? Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me." He looked towards his son's immobile form. Scoffing, he shrugged off the guilt he had in trusting his son with the serious task. Gently, he took Taritsu's radio earpiece and began their private conversation. "I'm disappointed in you Pioneeri. Allowing my only son to come to Sagratia. Do you even know how many enemies these people have lurking about? Many of them would jump the gun if they knew the kid was here."

"About that," Vasilis cackled nervously. "They already have been ambushed."

Baddack mentally facepalmed. He believed his son had suffered from the plane crash, so his inherited healing factor should have kicked in by now. It was obvious something was up with his system. Crouching on his knees, the 46 year old focused his efforts in search of any foreign ailments. Suddenly, he struck the adolescent by the shoulder with his bone claws. Clear liquid seeped out, leaving a small amount to dilute easily in Cheisu's system.

"Gawwwh! Careful with those. It's bad enough having to suffer from those punches during practice, pere." Cheisu stated as he rolled his arms to stimulate feeling in his limbs once more. Standing up, he thanked his father, but not before another strike to the head. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"

*Sneering* "Who told you to bring Taritsu?" He ended with a throaty growl.

"Perfectly good reason" Cheisu inched closer and whispered, "he saw Kakarotto."

"_Hein?_" Baddack didn't know if his son was joking or not, but if the latter was true, he'd confirm it later. "Whatever. The important thing is both of you are alright." He hanged up on a rampant questioning Vasilis with the threat, something along the lines of coming over, then made his orders clear. "Come on, we have to get going. Better to group up with the Rutabaskis if we're gonna make a stand."

* * *

Bloodshot eyes darted across the room. Breathing heightened and a twitching of his nose, Sedrick had to ignore his father's training. '_At least Yanagi knows how to harnest the energy technique._' Although Sedrick had this uncanny ability to store energy-much like a supercapacitor- he couldn't apply energy into objects like his wife did. Even his own son had shown signs of inheriting the ability. Still, he made up for it by augmenting his already peak condition abilities.

The 31 year old focused his efforts to restrain his line of vision from giving out the unspoken plan. A mutual agreement between Yanagi and him already set up for an energy barrier. All that was needed was some form of conductors for the energy, and not his own body. Though it stood true that the technique that his father and in-law referred to as '_Seikon no hadou_' could fortify the user's body in a way to withstand bullets, he didn't have the capability to protect any bystanders. That, and he didn't want to risk bullet wounds without his uniform on.

'_I could use water, but it'd be impossible to have a shield erected from that lasting more than a second. I'd need something that'll float..'_ The men havening their sights on Sedrick repeated once more for him to surrender peacefully. It was getting dangerous, as he noticed how the children on the other side of the room were grouped up, kept away from the enemy's field of vision. He had little experience with handling a battle alone, and with the way the situation was playing out, he'd have to. "In one condition: let me take my breakfast. I haven't touched it since I got here."

Several murmurs could be heard. They've heard stories that Rutabaski males were incredibly ravenous, but for him to think about food despite the cold reality of the threat. How much of a glutton was he? Sedrick ignored their crude judgement, going along with his plan thanks to the enemy letting him collect the food. He to be quick though. If he wasted a second longer than needed, it'd expose him.

His heart stopped.

"Hey. Why do you need that many utensils for?"

It was an innocent question, really, but the perpetrator should had kept his mouth shut. Turning about, he saw as several soldiers took the initiative and began charging at him. With little to no room for fighting at hand-to-hand combat, Sedrick hoped that his trick would work- lest he'd find himself under a biological time limit.

With his left hand, he spun the three spoons, shooting the metal pellets his father taught him to carry with him at all times. With his right, he threw a platter, knocking one of them out, resulting with his weapon slicing through the air. This stopped the others from firing, as the blade caused the soldier in the front lines to shoot his comrades in his right flank.

"Take him out quickly!" Shouted the officer in command of the group. Apparently he was too amateurish for the job as he failed to notice Yanagi exploited the split second she needed. Unraveling that scarf of hers, she applied the hadou, which resulted the density of the clothe to amplify exponentially. A second later, their weapons were rendered faulty as she had sliced them apart.

"Fall back. Fall back!" he cried. They had underestimated a direct assault, so it was now in their interest to draw the enemy to them.

Bystanders baffled, they were going to applaud~ and going to they were, but Sedrick silenced them. "Everyone out of the room!"

Glass shattered as several objects dropped onto the floor. A thick smoke spewed from each, blinding and hacking their senses. Sedrick gathered as many people as he could around him, then did his best to find his way towards his wife. "Guide them to safety, Yana. This was simply a ruse to ambush us."

A second wave of glass shatter occurred. However, this time it came from a multitude of bullets firing from the balcony, progressing further inside the ballroom. They couldn't waste a second longer before innocents started dropping.

"Are you sure about this though?" Genuine concern for his life had wavered her composure. Even she knew that the man known as Captain Sentinel- the invincible soldier- could not handle a situation of this caliber.

"I'll be fine," His confidence sent assuage through the worrisome wife. Though he himself wasn't entirely sure he could pull it off, he did know that it'd be enough to save the others. "Keep your guard up," he stated before taking his jacket off and dashed towards the perpetrators.

* * *

"How much longer?" asked Luke in between breaths.

The group of five had taken the roof tops to avoid any of the authorities chasing them down. Empire City's police force were prominent for taking extra precautions, so that meant for a lot of annoyances for anyone trying to save lives around here. Baddack knew only a few more blocks were left before they reached their destination, but the computer geek was slowing them down. Compromising, he told Cheisu to stick around with Luke, whilst he, Taritsu, and Vincent went ahead.

As sudden as he began, Baddack stopped in his tracks. Taritsu noticed this first, but Vincent risked it by exposing himself for a clear shot. The echo from a sniper filled their ears. Grazed, but not out for the count yet, Vincent shot a couple more arrows. Hitting his mark, he finally pulled an arrow from his quiver with a different design, shot the side of the E.C. Bay Hotel Complex and proceeded to zip line into the building. "I'll set up a safe zone on the lower floors. You guide them to me once you're in." Taritsu was about to follow suit, but found himself stopped by Baddack; there was this grim look on his face.

That feeling-no, filial intuition-to fight was taking over, causing him to grimace. He hadn't really a clue, other than the sense of his daughter in danger. Through all his childhood, he had to survive in the cruel world. Though he'd claim otherwise, his family was less than borderline normal. One instance of this was the relationship his mother had to endure with his despised father; he'd never end up like that foul man. As such, he bowed to keep a similar fate to impose on his children.

Hearing muffled voices, marching boots, and the violent slamming of doors, Baddack turned his attention to the fifth floor balcony. As he did, the glass door busted as a metal platter spanned across the air and took out two additional rifle men. Returning back to the instigator, none other than Sedrick caught the improvised weapon. The sight of his father provoked his emotions to a great degree, causing Taritsu to ignore the dangers.

"I've got visual on a stray." Baddack heard one of the soldiers mutter with his excellent hearing. Aiming his gun at the boy, the rifleman took his shot, only to see his mark was way off. "That's weird."

"What's weird?"

Suddenly Baddack felt his strained mind relax. His grimace slipped into a full on sneer as he felt the tension in his arms relieve themselves. Metal laced bone claws protruded 10 inches from the skin between his knuckles. This rare opportune allowed him to vent all frustration he had since the days he left his blood knight lifestyle. Heated claws delved straight through the soldier's chest, forcibly reminding him of the callous and wretched behavior he was forced to do. '_This is different though. I have a purpose._'

Genuinely, Baddack hated the smell of death. It stained his nostrils the day he was left alone to fend for himself. Then after, he encountered a man who told him that he did indeed belong in the world. Never had he have to reconsider his life choices until realizing that man manipulated him. At the very least, the only lesson he had learned was indifference when needed.

As such, Baddack couldn't care less at the moment if the riflemen began shooting at him. He knew he was impervious to any of their attacks!

Taritsu sped over to his father, who dropped from the fifth story unharmed and currently retrieving his bearings. "Papá!"

Sedrick's vindictive behavior faded as he saw his son running towards him. He assumed a skeptical expression as he assessed the boy racing towards him. Navy Parka and runners goggles aside, Sedrick could tell it was his son by that cheerful glee he had as he jumped into his arms. As much as he hated to ignore his feelings, Sedrick had that grim question. "Why are you here?"

"To help you and mamá."

"What about the twins," Sedrick did his best to avoid speaking aggressively. Unfortunately it was still laced with a tense frustration. "...are they alright?" he asked more tenderly.

"With Vejita." Taritsu then inquired about his mother. For his father to be fighting alone would indicate they were splitting objectives. And, if they were having brunch, then his mother would be inside.

"I reckon she's helping out." Sedrick answered between attacking and taking cover for both of them. His thoughts led to startling idea when he saw his son speed through several foot soldiers that tried to flank them. Next, he grabbed a small rock and chucked it at a sniper positioned several buildings away, landing his mark- the helmet. It was quite amazing to see his son's skills, but he had never expressed such proficiency and efficiency in a way it seemed like practice. In fact, this might very well seem like a warm up for him!

"Mauricio," he started. The use of his paternal middle name brought his attention. "I like that you can handle yourself well just as I- or even better than usual. It makes me proud to see you excel, but I can handle this." Sedrick didn't want his son to get in the way if they didn't coordinate well. It was just preferred that any partner Sedrick would work with knew how to communicate and have flexibility, but with his son being at an incredible new level than him, such compatibility couldn't establish early.

This was supported by the fact the enemy started pulling back- sending in heavier units once they saw city police. Shootouts would occur and endanger their lives. Sedrick could adjust to a new game plan, but his son would have to constantly move out of sight- meaning he'd be without his father's protection. He'd have to aid his mother instead.

Taritsu nodded knowingly. '_Well, I guess I'd be easier for mamá's sake. Leading a massive amount of people to safety while separated from papá is worrying._' "Alright papá, I'm going off to help mamá." He ran off, almost having his quick blur when he jumped up to the fifth floor look like teleportation. Sedrick chuckled. It calmed his nerves knowing that his abilities were best suited for a speedster: something Taritsu was always good at. He only hoped that the speed he had would be enough if things started to get out of hand indoors.

* * *

"Is everyone alright?"

Yanagi needed to have a consensus of how many members were safe. Since there was multiple conferences housing 9-15 people each, she deduced a total of 72 individuals would be what she was accounted for. Gaining confirmation from several of the leaders from their respected committees, she proposed taking the southern stairs.

"Wait, several of the children are missing!"

Emotions ran high as the families of said missing kids tried their best to search for them in the immediate area. Ultimately, when she tried to coax their panic, they backlashed their pain onto her. "Why should we even listen to you? This would have never had happened if your husband had simply turned himself in!"

Some of the more volatile ones were physically rousing up as they found the courage to stand up to their savior. However, only one parent was willing to speak up in her defense.

"Kaido-san is the only one capable of handling any opposition we have. If you can't cooperate with her, then it's better off that you find your own way out. We can't risk the survival of others simply because we have our differences with the fact she's taken unpopular decisions." Kaede may have broken any intimate relations with Yanagi, but that didn't mean she deserved being left to the wolves.

"Chandler, the children from your party are gone too." Instigated another who wished to see the Rutabaskis serve time. This may have caused Kaede to shake in fear, but she did well to keep it from getting to her. '_I shouldn't have to worry. I know Yana-chan wouldn't let innocent children to die. She loves kids._' Turning back to face the younger mother, she muttered low enough for only them to hear. "_Please, find it in your heart to forgive me and do this favor._"

However, Yanagi didn't know if she could abandon the majority to appease the indignant parents. As much as she wanted to make up to her best friend, she also couldn't risk the lives of the world's leading people. They were in no condition to stick around in a danger zone like it was nothing. A bitter taste found itself forming in her mouth as she met Kaede's hopeful eyes. How she hated seeing that look since it was the last genuine thing Yanagi had ever received from her childhood friend. She didn't want to let her down twice, but there was no other alternative with these conditions.

"I'll do it," spoke a familiar voice. It was much more childlike, sanguine even; almost like an idealistic version of Baddack's. In fact, he was so much like Baddack that Yanagi almost~almost did a double take when she saw him, save for the absent scar on his cheek. "The building is easy to navigate around, and I can handle searching for the missing children."

"But you'll be killed. The reality is, if they see you, you'd end up as a hostage if not killed on sight." Yanagi reminded. She saw Kaede exchange a thankful look towards her for halting the man from initiating on the suicide mission. From the way she held onto his hand, it was safe to assume this was Mr. Chandler.

"If I'm not mistaken, you said they were our future." He pulled out his trump card, causing bafflement to appear on Kaede and several proponents that had previously supported Yanagi.

'_What_ _is up with him? He can't be serious about showing me up?_' A whirlwind disrupted the rising tension in the air. Coming to a stop, the young Rutabaski greeted his mother. "What's with all the commotion?"

She couldn't believe it. First she lost the kids, and now the stakes rose again when her son appeared. Wanting to hold her head from the imposing headache, Yanagi fought it off and ignored scolding Taritsu. She'd deal with him later.

"Oi, I think it'd be best to head down to the third floor. There's a safe zone there." Taritsu brought up an opportunity for his mother to save face. Though she didn't admit it, Yanagi had seen quick blue blurs of him sneak by, likely scouting the area. Only until he stopped in front of them did her suspicions confirm.

"Great, we'll take the stairs. The quickest way is the east side stairs"

"I wouldn't head there if I were you." Taritsu stopped them from heading into enemy territory. He had raced around the building, searching for the best routes to take without ambush. "Take the south stairs, then avoid the north flight of stairs. They've implanted a mine field around the area there, so the next option is the incline lift the custodians use."

"Not to be a jerk, seeing as you are a kid, but why should we follow your advice? I mean, you could be lying to us." Contemplated skeptic number one.

"Really, is that the first thing you ask? A kid shows up and you totally forget asking about the other's whereabouts. What kind of jackass are you?" Retorted another.

Taritsu giggled silently seeing the adults argue. It was nice seeing a change of pace every once and a while, though the definition of that phrase varied a lot with how these types of '_friendly_ _arguments_' seldom existed when he was the topic. Finally, the golden question had arisen,

"Who's kid are you anyway?"

...

...

...

"That's none of your business, really." Taritsu shut him up calmly. It made Yanagi nervous as she noted the change of tone shift abruptly. Something serious was on his mind, and if she knew her son, his deductive reasoning would have already noted the situation at hand. What he was thinking, it wasn't assuring for the young mother, but she also couldn't do anything without compromising her son. He abstained from calling her "mom" in front of all of them for a reason.

"You should get going now. I'll find your missing kids." He calculated his words carefully, ensuring Yanagi got the message without revealing much. He was pissed that his friend was separated from the safety of the group.

"But you're just a kid"

Said person would have retorted a snappy insult, until he felt his watch had gone missing. Looking up, he saw the dangling rolex from Taritsu's outstretched hand, several feet away.

"Could a normal kid move at my speed," he began. "...I don't think so." He finished, this time from behind the man and dropped the rolex in his pocket, patting it as if to say "_take_ _care_".

With nothing to say, they reluctantly let him go on his own. However, all this wasn't going to deter Mr. Chandler. Whispering to his wife, he told her he'd aid the boy so he'd wouldn't have to divide his concentration. "_He'll need a hand, Kaede. He's the first boy I've seen worthy of my respect._"

* * *

Baddack and Sedrick took cover behind the same block of concrete. They had the upper hand for a while now, thanks to artillery support from the ECPD, but the game changed once WUSS called in some mech units. These mechs were semi-automated, capable of having personal input and an autonomous defense mechanism whenever Baddack tried to sneak behind towards the wiring panel. Sedrick found himself losing options with each passing moment as the ECPD tried multiple methods on breaking their technology. So far, these mechanical suits were fire, concussive, and EMP proof. A couple bullets would stray passed the enemy's magnetic shields while Baddack strained the system with his metal undercoating, but the method became ineffective once multiple units ganged up on him. Ultimately they were driven to rely on their defense.

"Don't suppose your, magic can get us out of this one?"

"Nah. Sucks to be a battery and not a conduit."

"Battery? What kind of energy do you utilize, Sed?"

"Mostly solar-like energy. Yanagi claims it's light-waves." He spoke abruptly, damaging one of the units with an improvised causation effect. Baddack was impressed with his younger counter-part's improvised tactics, utilizing the environment to harm these nigh-unstoppable mechs. They were harmed, but not out for the count!

"Think you can steal some electricity?" Baddack stated nonchalantly. His intentions were clearly on the right track, making that assumption~but it was still an assumption!

'_Paralysis may be possible with how Yanagi used her Hadou before._' Sedrick noticed the devastation the units were causing. Several ECPD officers were injured, no doubt performing their duties and keeping the units from entering the complex. '_Alright,_ _I'm willing to bet on this._' "Whenever you're ready..." He responded as the two bolted vigorously at the closest unit.

* * *

Having ran around the place a few times, Taritsu kept his composure as to not let the strung-along far more worried than he'd needed. For a strange reason, he kept feeling this resembling vibe coming off Mr. Chandler; probably the same feeling one gets from a doppleganger or something. '_I'm_ _not getting any leads. His presence is raking at my mind though. I should probably talk to him at least._'

"The children we're looking for," Taritsu stirred up any clues he could get. Kakarotto was never really a dominant leader type; a follower's position suited him better. This, however, didn't explain why he couldn't track them down. And he knew better than to use his olfactics. The whole building reeked of pungent sauces and gun powder. "would you mind telling me who would be in charge of the group?"

Chandler paused, noticing his associate was holding an open conversation. It pleased him to know how sensitive and prudent the young boy was. Silently, he laughed as it completely opposed the description his wife gave of the Rutabaskis. "Considering my daughter is 13 years, it's safe to assume she's looked upon as their beacon of 'hope'. Her name is Clarinda; appearance wise she has jet black hair and angular eyes. She's been taught Akido and Kyudo, so no doubt she's following the teaches I gave her of covering one's tracks."

"I see..." Taritsu muttered to himself. Chandler seemed like a normal politician, but the way he spoke with an air of confidence in his daughter's abilities revealed enough for him to piece together. He concentrated his efforts on distinguishing feminine abdominal breathing. It was new to him in practice, but he had to utilize the facts he had.

When he saw the young Rutabaski morbidly quiet down, he would had panicked by then- but he was different. "I see. So you're utilizing the sound of her breathing techniques. Does this mean you've located them?"

"Not yet," he replied without opening his eyes. They opened seconds later when he realized Chandler was knowledgeable with what he was doing. "You-... You have this eerie resemblance to a friend I know. Who are you anyway?" Immediately he fumbled with his rude accusation.

Laughing, Chandler revealed himself. "The names Jack, Jack Chandler. And don't worry; a lot of people confuse me with Baddack Valogna. Hell, this confusion people have of us has been the norm."

"You know Baddack?"

"Yeah," Jack asserted. He felt relieved having established a connection. "You could say he's been my role model ever since. Sadly, I entered into politics than the sciences." Then a cheeky idea came to him."Yet, if I hadn't, I wouldn't have met my wife."

"I reckon she's a great person." Taritsu wasn't one to judge, but he had observed how the adults had tried to reinforce a stance against his mother. So he gave her the benefit of the doubt until he heard the story.

"Indeed. She may not look like it, but behind her cold and calculative mask is a compassionate friend and protective mother. It's a shame her friendship had all but dissolved years ago with your mother."

This caught his attention immediately. Jack had barely known him. He was simply following him to aid in the rescue mission, and yet had somehow found his identity. '_I_ _thought I didn't even told him my name yet._' "HOW DO YOU KNOW MY MOTHER IS YANAGI KAIDO?"

"Simple actually. Although those goggles cover them, you have her eyes. You also resemble a Rutabaski male, which is supportive in the fact you have Sedrick's appearance. If anything, you're a perfect mix with the brunette and purplenette. For someone who's been regarded in a negative perspective as a person, your parents have done a great job rearing an individual like you- as I've noticed when you restrained yourself from revealing your identity in front of the crowd."

He had no way of playing it off now. Jack had him figured out, so playing coy wouldn't benefit at all. This left him mumbling in gratitude that someone unknown held no degree of animosity towards his parents. The warm sensation from that compliment was short lived however. Taritsu had located the kids.

* * *

"So, tell me again why we couldn't use "_The Orb_"? Wouldn't it have benefited us more if we took Weapon I's and Soldier X's powers there and then?" Inquired a young assistant.

Along with him was his chief, the man in charge of WUSS living-weapons program. Having years of experience, he knew taking Sedrick Rutabaski's abilities weren't worth the hassle, and trying Valogna would simply result in giving them away. No, the plans didn't call for such inexperience and risk. "Simple Johnstonii, simple. It's all a matter of time before we get a stronger concentration of Soldier X's genetic abilities. By luring the children into the stockroom, we've essentially set up a trap for the speedster."

"_Ohhh_. So his power is far more valuable because of the rumors aren't they."

"No. He is simply a convenience to our greater plans." He corrected with a biting remark. "This Alliance between Rutabaski and Kaido has merely given us the much needed opportunity thanks to the genetic anomaly of their union."

Menacing cackling started filling the room. Johnstonii was glad to have been hand-selected by the chief when he had first infiltrated their ranks under orders of his elders. And all he had to do now was ensure they would keep their hostages and extract the speedsters DNA. He'd eradicate the living source for bargaining power if necessary.

"FINALLY. A WORLD BROUGHT ON ITS HEAD TO BENEFIT OUR SPECIES IS WITHIN OUR GRASPS. LONG LIVE THE EUDORANS."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Raising the Stakes: part 2**

* * *

"Aren't we lost?"

"Don't be silly Alabaster. The notion of such negative thoughts will only lead to an endless circulation." Clarinda began. Being the eldest child of the group, she was seen as their big sister, which despite knowing it was a simple affectionate title, put her uneasy as she didn't want to make Stephanie feel that their family status only mattered.

Speaking about Stephanie, she was part of the reason the group had separated from the adults. Even without the other kids outright stating it, she could sense their animosity for her intensify as they loitered around in circles. Her sister Clarinda wanted to help, but she understood maintaining the status quo was the best she could do. Only Soren and Kakarotto didn't blame her.

The latter had kept quiet for a while now, making it seem as if "he" was not used to being alone. This made Stephanie wonder, '_Do all families have children with problems?_' She concluded yes, mainly since when she met Kakarotto, it was under her real name: Charlotte. For reasons unknown to her, Charlotte had to act as a male child was expected, albeit she was shy about the developing situation. She couldn't grasp why Charlotte wouldn't outright reveal her gender, but ultimately left the thought alone.

"Soren-kun, we'll be alright, will we?"

Those were the voices of two accompanying girls, Aiguchi Yumiko and Sugimoto Kaori, who had fancied Soren's attention ever since they met him. Honestly, it made Stephanie sick seeing how infatuated these two were, and their behavior was irrational considering their situation. But Soren didn't care. To him, if their fixation was a coping mechanism during the turmoil, then he'd allow the pestering, but never allow bias decisions. "You can count on it."

Their bright smiles caused Stephanie to avert her eyes from the sight. She might have times when she needed confirmation from another, and most of the time that job would land on her father. Since he wasn't here, and most of her intimately known associates were stuck with a corresponding responsibility, she attempted striking a conversation with the shy Charlotte.

"Not fun, is it?"

Charlotte nodded; she missed her family, her brother's protective nature, and her father's calming presence. Neither were here, and her eyes kept sparkling when she reminded herself that not a friend was here to stand alongside. Except for Stephanie of course. Silently, she tightened her fists and bite her lower lip, hoping her brother Kakarotto would come up with results this time. "It'll be over soon though." She stated, hope rising as she was being informed of a possible quick exit.

Leading the way, Charlotte brought them in front of a large set of double doors. Most noticeable of the hall was the door stops on the side of each wall, indicating that behind those doors was likely a storage or stockroom of some sorts. "See, I told you not to give thought to negatives." Clarinda replied aloud, to no one in particular. As each of the children walked through, Kakarotto and Soren were the only ones to feel the uneasiness. However, only Soren showed resistance in walking through.

"Is something wrong Soren?"

He could feel a continual beat that was reminiscent of running, but they weren't heavy as the men were. Catching a glimpse of Clarinda's concern, and the other children, he enacted on following suit.

"I see them!" Shouted the voice of a young preteen. It was somewhat strange to Soren as he had never heard that voice, and yet he felt a homely allure to the owner. Turning about, he managed to see the parka donned by the boy and Mr. Chandler running behind him. Before he could say anything, the doors swung closed...or at least tried to as the boy stuck his hand through, having his wrist caught in between the force.

The act had shocked the others as from their point of view, they saw a hand try swiping at Soren. To them, this further reinforced the fear of a non-human hunting them down, but they didn't know Taritsu exploited his bracers. Frightened, but mostly fueled by the drive to protect the younger children out of sisterly love, Clarinda did what she could in getting rid of the threat and closing the doors. However, a screeching sound resonated from the bottom of the Stockroom floor. A couple levels below, a pair of mechanical drones rolled out from the hatches. No bigger than a bike, they resembled Dromopoda.

This division of attention allowed Taritsu to force the doors open once more, and caused Clarinda to fall on top of him. The result-jealousy from the other males.

"I see you're well acquainted with my daughter, Taritsu." Was the dry remark of Jack Chandler. Noticing the underlying problem by how the thirteen year old girl was but mere inches from his face, he apologized on the situation. Face still flushed, Clarinda accepted it briefly and happily greeted her father. She was reacting quickly due to the drones down below, and didn't want any of them to end up as targets. However, the quick succession of words was unintelligible for the father.

"You got any of that?" He asked his guide immediately after.

"Only that you'd need to get out of sight." He replied as he hopped over the railing, dropping down the remaining floors until he reached the sub-basement level. The shock of his landing was enough to divert the drone dromopoda from climbing up the walls.

'_If I recall, the attack mechanism of a Solifugid resembles closely to that of a funnel-web spider. The scorpion is much more predictable, but I'd have to keep my distance from its_ _barb._'Taritsu congratulated whoever built the drones for their faithfulness towards biology, and continued to study their form. Their power source would likely be in the thorax, so he'd have to quick to bust it open before he was struck.

Stephanie eyed Charlotte as she looked with a renewed vigor at the mysterious boy. His appearance wasn't anything special, perhaps what an average vigilante's sidekick would be. And it was a bit strange that when it appeared he was going to get struck, the boy sidestepped away like he had anticipated them from behind. The fluid transition from offense to evasion reminded her of the same methods that boy she meet four years ago had.

The battle ended with the scorpion's barb plunged into the Solifugid's thorax, allowing Taritsu the opportunity to rip off the tail and proceeded to smash it with said part.

Finally over with, Stephanie was certain that this strange boy was in fact one and the same. Wanting to confirm it, she was about to call out the name she knew him by, but refrained from it once she saw his ears twitch and lifted his gaze upwards with the incoming transmission.

zzrrrt zzrrrt

[**YOU'VE DONE WELL WITH THE PRELIMINARIES, SPEEDSTER.**]

Everyone in the room was appalled by the echoing broadcast, wondering who was behind the drones and whether they were in immediate danger. Taritsu himself had actual fun handling the battle, but as his stomach was starting to affect him, he hid it well. From the top of the stockroom, a figure suited for battle with a T-visor helmet and a shoulder mounted cannon. With difficulty in anticipating what this person wanted, Taritsu simply went along with the context of the encounter being part of an exam.

"Oi, if your intentions were to get to me, you could have asked. I like testing too." Jokingly replied Taritsu. This caused several of the children to reel back in disgust with his attitude. They didn't know it, but the ten year old stated it to establish himself as the center of attention, if the newcomer were to start a fight.

Soren caught up on that but flustered when he saw Stephanie look on with an anticipation he never received. '_How_ _dare he obstruct the affections of Stephanie when she's only met him for a couple seconds!_'

"Don't worry Soren. You're a hundred times cooler than him." That comment brought his fuming mind back to an acceptable range.

"That's right." agreed the other girl of his Casanova fandom.

[Testing? Well...I suppose what the Chief wants goes along the lines of that.]

The voice was ambiguous, almost leaning to have a sincere apologetic tone. Infact, Taritsu had almost trusted the new individual until another figure appeared, calling out to get rid of the bystanders who might interfere. The suited individual shot a couple pellets, which upon impact with the wall, released the stored gas.

cough cough

"Don't inhale the fumes. Cover your mouths." Mr. Chandler instructed, but several of the children had knocked out within the first few seconds they had breathed in. Fortunately, they still had a strong pulse. As Clarinda, Soren, and Charlotte were the only ones fortunate enough to avoid the gas, they confirmed it was similar to having fallen asleep. '_Sleeping gas? I didn't know terrorists could be ethical._'

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THEM!" Angered that they dared to harm the innocent, Taritsu closed in and threw his punches. All of them were blocked consecutively, until his anger rose to the necessary level needed to bypass the defenses. Knocking this bounty hunter-esque person down, Taritsu was going to finish the job by knocking his enemy out, that is he would have do so if the second individual hadn't shot him with a static shield generating weapon.

[Johnstonii, you're not to hurt the subject.]

"Silence, Veras. The extraction requires cooperation. Since he obviously won't, containment is nescessary." He stated while striking the bounty hunter-esque companion for showing sympathy. His inbuilt computer visor briefly calculated what it registered the boy as. '_Hmm... power level of 1,965. The energy readings state he's fluxing at 200, physical capabilities state it's a steady 460, but where's that extra power coming from? At anycase, Veras shouldn't pity this fool of a wannabe before he becomes more of a threat._'

By that time, Taritsu's rage continued to spike his abilities, straining the static shield. He didn't like individuals who'd hurt others, whether it'd be his family, or even those who'd antagonize him. Pulling himself on his feet, he started to bide his energy for the strongest lash out yet. '_This will be tricky, I wouldn't be able to use the full effects of my abilities. I've seen mom and dad practice the moves, and I haven't tried it all yet. The speed I'll be moving at should compensate for the skill needed, though the resulting force will raise powerful winds. Just hope it's enough to reach my target._'

"What's he doing father?" Clarinda asked while never letting her eyes off him. He was a strange boy, meek and gentlemanly, yet boisterous and agitative. If anything, this boy was who Soren aspired to be, and yet when she looked at them both, she saw a difference. Soren had this ambitious nature that he coaxed regularly to fit in, whilst the speedster had covertly hidden apprehension. Maybe she was just seeing things, but the boy seemed off to her at how he handled his emotions.

".._runners stance..._"

"Eh?"

Jack, startled, composed himself once more while adjusting his tie as he'd normally would under pressure. He knew the true nature of that stance- he was trained to combat its ferocity. If hit by it, it'd feel like a car ramming into you at top speed, but in reality, multiple hits had landed before you even saw it coming. At the speeds Taritsu exhibited, it'd be more like a locomotive instead. '_Once_ _this is over, I'll have a word with him._' "He's adjusted his weight for a charge attack."

Charlotte, who was busy attending some of the passed out children agreed. "There's no doubt in it now. He's got this."

The two older individuals looked towards her as she had carefully placed each of the children away in the back. It seemed as if the kid had ever growing guilt with the outcome, but they didn't know the entirety of why. The only clue they had was from the way she looked concerned with the sleeping form of Stephanie, so they concluded it at that.

Soren eyed the boy predatorily, feeling he was one-upped by the new rival. He decided to help as well after some thought, having felt a bit of guilt from his neutral standing he usually had.

Finally, the ten year old shifted his legs.

The instant movements of his legs were all but slow moving in the eyes of Jack Chandler. Seeing as he pulled his arm back and formed a fist, he had a double. This wasn't the feral berserker strikes. Rather it was the legendary technique used by ancient monks. The...

"FARRRUUUUUKON...

KENNNNNNNN!"

SHOOOSH

The blow landed with a quick-but noticeable instance of heated air bursting out. It was evident the force destroyed the shield generator when they heard a loud crumbling sound, but as the dust settled, that bright flame in his eyes snuffed out in fear. His parent's techniques, Hamon- or whatever they referred to it as, failed him. Albeit his was imperfect, the fact that Johnstonii had materialized a mecha suit in seconds to counter the blow shocked him. '_Just..._ _what have I gotten myself into._'

* * *

"...Geez. Is that all their effort?" Sedrick spoke aloud whilst tending his stiff neck muscles. Baddack was finishing the rest of the mechs off before they could retreat strategically. It was really an art form to Sedrick as he watched the older man battle with those organic weapons of his; some might call him a mutant for that, but he understood what was up with those claws. His bones had broken when he was younger, and when they healed, he had two sets. That explained the constant pain Baddack had whenever he suppressed the claws from protruding, but one thing did leave him to wonder though.

Wouldn't he have healed his bones in the right position? It couldn't possibly recognize those sharp bone claws as advantageous when he was a kid.

Rummaging through the last mech to find any survivors with intel, Sedrick began interrogating the pilot. This pilot however, bit his tongue, drawing the blood necessary for his diversion. Blinding the 31 year old, the pilot flipped the safety latch and pressed the matter compression button. At the instant he did, he found himself missing an arm. It was a searing pain, but the action was clean. On the side of the hatch walls was his hand, pinned by a shuriken.

Noticing the commotion, Baddack turned to see Vasilis having intercepted the fatal assault.

"Argh!"

Sedrick stopped wiping the blood from his eyes and utilized his remaining eyesight to find his aid. Gradually, the disgust exchanged with that of gratitude as Vasilis resumed the interrogation for him. The millionaire vigilante started off with a series of polar questions, eventually receiving the information needed.

"Now, if you want to live, tell me the name of the one who oversees this wretched plot. And if you don't, say otherwise." The pilot was about to answer, but then he realized. He couldn't speak the name.

The fear was getting to him, and he began hyperventilating. One wrong word and he'd be done. He didn't want to die, but the pressure was pounding his mind that he began foaming at the mouth. Seeing as he feared death and wished for aid, he tried to write the name with his blood, but sensing it futile, opted to press on the command screen the code sequence for their top Mech Pilot.

"Johnstonii, Arlo. Seems like we've got our perp." The man in the dark cowl told his comrades. His arrival was convenient enough that it meant allowing Yanagi to regroup with the others having safely delivered the crowd under ECPD authority. Otherwise, she'd have to explain the situation herself.

Kaede Chandler stuck around Yanagi as she held her head in shame, apologizing for her indifference. Seeing as the older woman was flustering with the next sentence she dearly wished to say, Yanagi took the reins. "Don't."

Kaede looked up, perplexed as to why she interrupted. '_Did I anger her? Is she looking for revenge? I guess I deserve her malice._'

"This wasn't done so we can be friends. I simply done what any good-natured person would do. Keep your pride and dignity, Matsuoka. Maybe..." She paused; sentimentality of their shared past was resurfacing again, but she wanted to keep the promise she made to her. '_one day I'll earn her respect as a person. If I let her make it up to me for this, it'll be superficial._' "..we'll meet again."

Kaede, seeing that slight hopeful smile, nodded, and proceeded to ask if the children were found. She was swept away by the police before she could speak up, but Yanagi mouthed her an answer that reassured her anxiety.

Heading towards the other men, Yanagi felt her shoulders gain weight as the emotional turmoil was eating up at her too. Her son was no where around them, so she figured he might still be inside. Sedrick beat her to the questioning first. "He's not with you?"

"Kyousuke went off to find the children, accompanied by a Mr. Chandler. I do hope he manages."

"Same here." Vasilis pulled up his personalized PDA, showing the coordinates of two subjects. "Apparently our little hero is currently in a boss fight."

Yanagi, shocked as expected in the first moments, shook the feelings off and then proceeded to berate the man as to why he let her little boy come to the foreign land on his own. She could tolerate many things, like her husband going off with their child without a word, since she knew he wouldn't let the boy out of sight, but Vasilis wouldn't get that leniency. Not after she saw how he was practically isolated for any to take him for vile intentions.

"Err- we'll talk about it later. What's important right now are the children, right?" He slyly writhed away from Yanagi's wrath. It perked Sedrick's jealousy a bit, since he would always have to handle it full force if he messed up.

'_I don't know how he does it._' "Come on Badda," Sedrick used the moronic nickname he initially reserved for the older man, diffusing the situation further. Have it been any other situation, he'd scold him immediately, but instead let out a stressed grunt and joined the trio, heading towards the adjacent street.

* * *

Johnstonii and Taritsu exchanged blow after blow in their battle that was somewhat reminiscent of break dancing vs an animal smashing the place. He soon found his surveillance nanomites catching sight of the four experienced adults closing in. Taritsu had taken that short instance to land a devastating blow.

"HAH! That suit of yours got nothing on me." The boy cheerfully exclaimed.

Cursing his luck, Johnstonii decided it was time. Activating his second shift, he locked onto the target. Smirking deviously, he let out a piercing shriek, causing the boy to cover his ears from the pain. In an instant, the boy was pinned between the mechanical arm and the high-density wall. A blood-curdling scream screeched out from the kid's lungs.

"I'VE GOT YOU NOW, YOU LITTLE MONGREL!" He applied more pressure to his chest, and began the extraction process when the hidden syringes invaded the boy's body.

[JOHNSTONII, YOU FOOL. IT'll KILL HIM!]

"QUIET DOWN VERAS. A PUNISHMENT IS IN ORDER FOR ANY WHO OPPOSE ME." He maniacally retorted. Obviously his mindset was starting to slip out of the normal range possible for a eudoran, but those seeing this cruel act simply saw a madman rather than an extraterrestrial.

'_I_ _have to do something quick._' Jack didn't know much of what he could do at this point. If he decided to dive in and fight head on, it'd be likely he'd be forced to submit. And even if he_ did_ win, there'd be much explaining to do since it essentially meant his identity would be exposed. "Get into the corridor quick." He told the children.

Seeing the railing, he broke off a couple bars and steadied his aim. '_I hope this works._'

"_Taritsu,_ _stay awake buddy._"

Taritsu grinded his teeth in response to the words. He was hearing him again, but as he looked over to the corridor, he saw that Kakarotto was both safe as well as next to him.

"_H-how?_"

"_Nevermind that. If you want to survive, you're going to have to release a significant portion of your power. Take off one of your bracers quick._"

Taritsu was appalled. For all his life, he had sworn to never take the bracers off to both his parents and his grandparents. They said it was necessary for him to live, but here his closest friend was suggesting him to lose his energy for a high risk gambit.

"_N-No... why should I?_"

"_It's the only way I'll be able to help you._"

"Praying for your life now? I suppose a plebian such as yourself would resort to using a pain reliever. No matter. In a few seconds you'll be useless to me. You can be certain I'll rid your drained carcass from this world as such a horrid obscenity shouldn't be seen by innocent eyes." Johnstonii crudely promised his twisted sense of generosity.

WHOOOOOOOSH SHNNT

The delusional pilot found the hydraulics of the arm nonresponsive. The extraction was still continuing, but it was bearable enough for Taritsu to follow through what he was asked. '_Here_ _goes._'

A blinding flash of light emanated from the cannon of non other than Veras. This was it, the opportunity had presented itself and Veras had enough of the guy. He'd pay for harming the child, even if Veras would suffer grave consequences.

Once the room cleared, the situation before them was entirely unexpected. Simply calling that scene a shocking turn of events would be an understatement. Veras hanged in the air, abdomen pierced by "his" partner.

"Teh." Johnstonii had his hand on the controls once more after managing to reroute the suit's energy. "You know, Veras. You would have been the first among W.U.S.S.'s super soldier program. Seeing as how eager you are, I find it fitting that the blood of this boy you tried to save will kill you." He pressed the key that initiated the 'injection' process and stopped it right after a couple of milliliters passed through, enough to cause Veras an overload and pass out from the dangerous amount of volume in the blood. Satisfied with the passed out traitor, he threw Veras to the ground, causing the T-visor helmet to roll off, exposing Vera's true identity.

"Now," Johnstonii turned to check on the boy. "Hmm. I guess I did take more than necessary. This is even enough to start my own blood bank." He gleefully stated.

A sharp turn occurred once more, eyes glaring at the nervous daze of the politician. He'd be next, and soon after would be the rest of the children. "That was a good throw back there. Excellent precision too."

Jack stayed silent, but stood his ground. He looked over at Taritsu's violated body, and immediately back at the threat before him. Suddenly, it hit him. '_Movement? He' still alive!_'

Groggily the boy rose to a sitting position and cracked his knuckles. '_Man, I was worried he wasn't going to do it. He's been drained to critical levels, but his reserves should recover the injuries. Too bad the stress of making the jump knocked him out. Thankfully I was able to take control before he went mindless._'

"Dad, he's still alive?"

The sudden interjection of Clarinda disrupted Johnstonii's concentration. He didn't see the boy's second wind coming. He used the computer to scan his vitals quickly, only to smash the screen when it confirmed his fear. A blue tint in his hair had appeared and so did green in his eyes, due to the new available power.

Taking the metal bar, the boy began to counter each and every blow coming from the madman. "HYAAAH!" The concussive force was enough to have been heard from outside, allowing the older heroes to locate their fight in time. Startled by the sudden second round, the visor calculated his readings once more.

'_The kid's stabilized at 1,332 but it's painfully obvious he's in no shape to use his full capabilities. These four are more dangerous as they're topping the 100,000 mark; the woman seems weaker than the others, but her mastery of energy is much more developed, whereas each of those men have the capability of dealing serious damage to the_ _mech._'Suddenly the computer displayed a deeper analysis on the oldest of the group, enhancing his fears at the new knowledge. '_Not possible. No man should be able to carry around such high concentrations of alloy. I must plan this carefully._'

"NOBODY MOVE OR I'LL BLOW UP THIS FACILITY AND THE SURROUNDING BLOCKS RIGHT NOW."

"You're bluffing," Taritsu/Kakarotto retorted. His piercing eyes took one look at his sister and had to believe that he wasn't kidding. She had this look of uncertainty as the suited madman was asserting his threat, and neither party wanted to risk confirming the grim fact. Now stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea, he had to let his enemy make demands.

"Sedrick, Vasilis. I'll take him on while you two get them out of here. Don't worry about me- I'm inde"

"No," the young boy spoke once more. He didn't like the idea so much as the next person, but it was the best bargain around. Laying down his weapon, he put his arms behind his head. '_Now_ _for phase two._'

"I give up. You've won. Take me and leave the others alone."

Bafflement filled the room, but it was a serious consideration between the two. Johnstonii hadn't expected the sudden surrender, but he was glad to have outwitted the brat. "Alright. But along with you I'll need additional insurance." He stated as the mech's arm extended and went for the others. His aim wasn't really intending for anyone specific but found Charlotte the best choice as the data confirmed she was genetically compatible. As she saw it coming and put herself in it's path to protect her unconscious friend, Charlotte looked onwards without giving into the crippling fear.

"Hmm, so we have another volunteer. This one seems innocuous, so I supposed it'll do. It's quite a shame I hadn't retrieved an unconscious one. But don't worry, you'll have 'fun' as a test subject." He belittled the selfless act with maniacal laughter.

Taking the two children under restraints, the adults in the room tried their best to sustain themselves from trying anything. Taritsu/Kakarotto gave them a small nod that they could interpret as "Don't worry. I planned it out." and continued to play coy. Pressing another stroke of the keys, the suit released what could be described as a hover pod, allowing for a speedy get away whilst the others could do nothing.

Moments later, the room was stormed by a torrential rush of BALM agents. Guns at the ready, the whole scenario was reminiscent of what happened previously upstairs. However, this time, a familiar was among them. Cheisu walked in front of the other agents to clear any misunderstandings, but they weren't interested on taking them custody. No...

This time, the director chose to handle things in person.

"It's been a long time, Rutabaski."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Raising the stakes: part 3**

* * *

Amber met Blue when the thirteen year old found himself staring at the two siblings that had their sights on the screen. It wasn't the first time he had looked after them like this, but Vejita was far more concerned with the contents the two were viewing. He carefully assessed whether or not it raised any alarm with the twins seeing such graphic recordings on the television set, but apparently they had only managed to catch on to the story for the brief moment when the police commissioner was interviewed for what had caused such destruction.

"Our accounts report that an unfortunate accident occurred when scientists in the Hotel Complex wanted a live demonstration, resulting in the explosion..."

'_Bullshit. That's just a cover up your superiors told you to say._' Vejita sneered, flipping the channel to a more appropriate program. It wasn't any science or history channels, so that made the children notice their older brother wasn't here.

"_Veggie_-chama?" Aliya's toddler features stressed out the nickname he thoroughly detested. If it had been the brat or any other kid, they would have learned their lesson there and then, but he forgave Aliya as it was naturally difficult for the young girl to pronounce it right. "Onii-chama left early?"

"Yes." He shut the television off and stood up. Quietly, he observed, was the male twin eyeing him. It seemed as if he was found out, but it wasn't like he was going to spill.

'_Better diffuse the kid's curiosity._' "I bet you're both hungry. Let's eat."

As if he had forgotten already, Alexander nodded in response. Having been spoiled by their elder brother, they expected to be fed an exquisite meal, which irked Vejita as he would merely eat the food prepared by his father's butler. And even if he did cook, the most that he made was uncouth nutrients in basic edible form. None of the suggestions they were spouting off seemed reasonable for his capability. Ultimately he settled on the choice of making breakfast skewers. That was soon proven an ill decision.

"What, you're not hungry?"

The two looked at the dish before them. It smelled nice and though burnt a bit on the sides, looked edible. By what exact means they didn't eat it, Vejita didn't know.

'_Perhaps_ _they don't know how to eat it._'

Knock Knock

The teen found himself with visitors at the door, and left the children briefly to check on who it was. It was Valeria, accompanied by the current Rutabaski Head Intelligentsia, J. Greil. If his father were here, he'd ridicule the boy for being a hypocrite. It was a habit of his to assert his qualities superior to those menial buffoons who claimed their titles haughtily. So much in fact, that the entire line could be considered his catchphrase. Here though, his arrogance would snuff in comparison to the feats Greil had when he still had his flesh hand.

"_Buongiorno, Padrone e Padrona_. Come in, come in." He greeted with his best well-mannered tone. They were one of the only few he showed true reverence to. Seeing as he was in charge of the young twins, he had to make certain his incompetence as a caregiver didn't disrespect either.

"_Bien dia_, Vejita." The reply was automatic, so Greil didn't notice his use of castellano. It was until he saw his Great aunt give him a disapproving frown that he apologized for the nonchalant response, and excused himself while he went ahead to see his grandchildren.

Vejita didn't know what was up with the old man, yet he found himself asking what was wrong- contrasting his aloofness to personal issues. He tried to apologize for the rudeness he might have came off as, but Valeria answered him regardless.

"Johannes has always been like this whenever autumn rolls around. Whether he likes to admit it or not, the season reminds him of that pain he went through."

Solemnly casting his gaze to the floor, Vejita mumbled to himself several insults for being ignorant. The man used to have close companions, both whom were lost to complete their duties. With his birthday coming up in a few weeks, it would constantly remind him they wouldn't be there to share it with him. For a few moments, he wondered if he too would be affected if he lost his friends- that is, if he had any that could tolerate him.

Valeria placed one of her hands underneath his chin, lifting it up to assure him it was merely a phase.

The beeping alert on his PDA began, indicating the expectant call from his father. Softly stating he needed to answer, Valeria nodded and understood that the new generations had important business.

"Hey dad. Any news?"

"Unfortunately yes," Vasilis informed. He wanted to tell his son to avoid relaying the contents of the information to Greil, but the old man popped out his command first.

"May I speak with Mr. Pioneeri, Vejita?"

Hesitating mentally, Vejita didn't enjoy having to choose between his father and _Padrone_ Rutabaski. Ultimately his father would understand.

"Vasilis, how are things going? You've already happened to leave for Sagratia to pick up my son and daughter-in-law this morning have you?"

"Well, yes. I'm with them right now actually." Vasilis was grasping for anything he could say to avoid suspicion. He opted for the fact Sedrick and his wife were thinking about a second honeymoon, but Greil would hardly believe that from him. The old man knew a lot from a person by what topics they indulge in, what motives they have, and any miscellaneous information he could get to predict what someone would say or do next. That is how he was during fights too, so it was right to assume getting into a fight with him was basically signing your death warrant.

'_I better come clean._' "_Padrone_ Rutabaski, I am so sorry to have to tell you this..."

The look on Greil's face went from mild discomfort to shock, eventually ending with grim solace. "Miles? Nicholas is with you?" He quietly accepted the truth, albeit his mechanical hand was twitching erratically from the distress signals emanating from his nerves. That was a name he didn't want associated with his family, but it seemed he couldn't exactly escape his past. '_I_ _expected something like this were to happen..._' "Alright. Don't you negotiate anything pertaining to my family with him. I'll be right there soon."

* * *

"Hey, Zero."

Cheisu turned to see his good friend Seamus Triton, aka "Sirius". Seeing him here meant what might be going down soon was indeed a grave tipping point. Sighing, he decided what his friend knew of the situation. Luke wasn't told much, and neither had Stryder been informed of the delayed time the other agents had.

"Heya Seams. Burnes didn't join you today?"

"Nah, she's busy being an espionage in Pyrastrene. I say it's good luck for us too," he lowered his voice and moved closer to whisper in his ear. "_There's a hot babe inside. If she weren't affiliated with the terrorists I'd totally try my luck with her._"

Scowling, Cheisu reminded Seamus that he was an engaged man, but that didn't shake the man's conviction one bit. "Ah come on bro. She's got this nice complexion of dark hair, shoulder-length. She's got amber eyes too." He added that last part, just to playfully jab at his "unhealthy" fascination of his fetishist for the color. However, it hardly made him mad as Seamus had anticipated. He was more curious with the woman's identity since it just stook out too much for it to be coincidence.

"Seamus, tell me what else do you know-"

"Yes," He gave him an expectant grin, which brought him to recollect his thoughts in disgust to that pout he'd try to hard to make. "Ask me anything Cheis. I'm all ears."

'_Anything huh?_' "What do you know about today's attacks."

"Only that it was planned." He let that slip. Perplexed, he begged Cheisu not to tell anyone that he let it slip.

*stifling laughter* "Lucky for you captain obvious is no where around." He gave the poor fool a slap on the back. "Besides, if it was planned, and you knew about it, that meant our superiors knew about it as well, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Seamus half-heartedly agreed. "What are you getting at though?"

'_Come_ _on idiot, I don't want to make a scene by saying these words aloud._' "Let's say theoretically, if we already knew about a terrorist plot, why would we act later on when it's been hours when it was enacted."

"Obviously because there was no other alternative." It wasn't the words of Seamus though. This voice belonged to none other than Phillip K. Quinn, a former Europa veteran of the South Nichyese war and grandson of the world-renown spy from The Great War, Phillip E.O. Quinn. Although Nicholas Miles thought of him as a close friend, he had nothing in common with the man other than their tendency to avoid confrontation.

"Now, Valogna, was it? I'd advise you to keep yourself from snooping around when the director is present. Best to keep yourself neutral with these matters."

"Y-yes, Agent Q." He replied and headed back to Luke, who was currently working with Vasilis on the tracking device. Since Taritsu had volunteered as a hostage, the radio transmission went awry. They needed to figure the whereabouts of that madman, before the dilemma escalated further. It didn't help that BALM's director currently had orders to wipe the memory of today's incident from everyone's mind; several of them tried to sneak away, but they got caught nonetheless. The only few that didn't get wiped was Baddack's lookalike and a small blonde 10 year old with naturally tousled hair.

Since the man, who they found out was named Jack Chandler by Baddack later, was arguing with the agents that they weren't allowed to forcefully erase his family's memories at the moment, they settled with questioning the kid.

"...so what happened next?"

"I-I don't know. I wasn't able to see the next several moments. I was in the corridor when I heard the screaming." He looked nervously at the two men, feeling especially intimidated by Baddack. Strange as it seemed, he looked just like Mr. Chandler, yet his menacing scowl felt 100 times more effective.

"You must have heard something. My only da- dashingly identical son was abducted. Think boy," Baddack saved himself from revealing the true gender of his precious child.

A few seconds passed as Soren darted his eyes to find anyone he knew to confide in. The man was being too forceful and he didn't respond well to that. Locking eyes with Clarinda, he settled his nerves and sighed in relief. "When he passed out for a while, that madman injected his ally with blood, I think."

They blinked twice, figuring what the hell blood would have been transfused. They saw no correlation with Taritsu, that is until Soren pulled out a golden object- the inhibiting bracer.

'_They_ _couldn't have..._' "Kid, where did you get that?"

"It was on the floor; that speedster or whatever dropped it when he needed more power or what not. I didn't see any change in speed, just more strength."

"Give that to me." Baddack demanded. The sudden outburst caused Soren to reel back and got the attention of several nearby. Sedrick, having avoided talking to BALM director Miles, came around to see what his older friends were doing. How shocked he was to see how predatory behavior from Baddack. '_I_ _better handle this before he gets into any trouble._'

"Err, Soren is it?" He heard the name thrown around when Yanagi was filling him in. The kid gave him his full attention and began to have this mixed expression of gratitude and surprise. He didn't know the man, but he might as well trust his kindness; the others were coercing obedience earlier.

"Would you mind handing that to me? It belongs to me."

Soren then made a 'hmph' and looked away. '_So that kid's a Rutabaski, and this is his father._' His father had always told him that the Rutabaskis were kind men, but having been told that the reason his grandfather Cesare wasn't around was due to an accident while with the Rutabaski grandfather, Soren Zeferi held a bitter dislike towards them. And yet, he couldn't help but justify reluctant indifference instead of the usual antipathy he held for that family.

"At the very least you could have said it belongs to your son." He stated whilst using the tone his father would use whenever someone asked him about his ties with the Rutabaski family.

The stunned expression gradually changed into a warm grin when he heard that Soren had basically given him permission. Taking the inhibitor, Sedrick ruffled the kid's hair affectionately, much to his displeasure. He chuckled seeing the boy's discomfort as he left.

"Oi, Sedrick. You didn't have to do that, you know. We could have gotten that for you." Baddack started.

"Thanks, but I wouldn't have bothered if it weren't for his aghast look when you had that stern look on you face."

Baddack scowled and grunted. True, he may have gone a bit overboard, but since his daughter was abducted, how could he maintain a calm demeanor! It baffled him how Sedrick wasn't worried at the slightest since his son was taken as well. '_Shouldn't he at least be concerned?_'

"But you know Sed, Baddack _is_ worried for the kids' sake. Seeing as you have not shown any worrisome thoughts, I take it you have complete faith your son will be alright?" Vasilis stated whilst returning with Vincent. Stryder might have known anything about what to do with the clues they found, seeing as Vasilis had read about a similar case while studying back in the 70s.

"It's not so much as worrying about his life. I taught him how to defend himself every opportunity we had."

True, the boy did learn self-defense, but he didn't know when to utilize it unless seeing a clear threat. His son was a bit of a pacifist, which was fortunate for Sedrick as advocates to his choice in raising his first born claimed that the kid was a weapon and "_the instigator of death to all_".

"But have you let him actually use that knowledge in real situations, or is everything he's been doing a simulation in his head? Such inexperience will overlook variables in a fight; he could risk someone's life if not his." retorted Baddack.

Sedrick frowned. It was true what they said, he agreed with _part_ of it. However, be it real-life or a simulation, his son had _always_ beaten him at strategy. Even when he had no way out by utilizing his feeble options such as that time he purposely given him a bad hand, his son had managed to bluff him into defeat. '_I swear he might have switched hands while I wasn't looking._' "You guys worry too much. They'll be fine."

They grumbled, perturbed that the young father was being a bit stubborn, but they couldn't argue. Yanagi was coming over and she would escalate the facts into a negative view. Though she also had a calm demeanor akin to her husband, they knew it was just to regulate her feelings and not compromise the men. She was far more emotional when it came to her children, which would surprise many due to the fact it was Sedrick who had an emotional outburst when officials suggested they eliminate Taritsu when he was born.

Standing next to her husband, Yanagi gave them all a quick glance over, and made an anxious smile.

Finally, Luke managed to receive a signal.

"They're at the WTC!"

* * *

The man before them had nothing special about him. He was average height, about 172 centimeters, and had a thin physique. The only thing that stood out was the green vest underneath his coat and orange beard of his. Since the thinning hairs on his head indicated he had no regards for his body, Kakarotto and Charlotte understood that wouldn't matter soon enough.

"Chief Velaris. I've obtained the substance just as you asked." Johnstonii shouted into the air as the hover pod began its decent onto the roof. "In fact, the source just so happens to be with me as well."

Velaris, stunned at the words, bowed his head as he paid his subordinate respect. However, he didn't appreciate a second person having accompanied them. "With due respect, Johnstonii, but why did you bring another. And what happened to Veras?"

Johnstonii frowned at the words, feigning hurt. Venom in his words, he spat, "That woman has decided to finally oppose orders. In my species' culture, if you don't abide to the commands of your superiors, you're regarded as nothing more than a subject. Even the proletariats have better conditions than them. As such, I decided to see if the substance would work on her." He detached a drive from the controls, handing it over to the man. The data he managed to record from Veras's vitals when he injected her were vastly different than before the process, but it was incomplete as he had to leave the vicinity as to not risk the mission.

Velaris smirked. It seemed that the transformation was fast acting; mental capabilities and physical were obvious, but Veras seemed to have a negative dip near the end of the recorded data. Did the process not work because it was insufficient, being that it was a direct transfusion. They wouldn't know; their prototype was most likely in enemy hands by now, so obviously they had to use the safe process.

"_Sis. Sis, it's me_."

Charlotte looked up at Taritsu's eyes quizzically. Bemused as to how her friend had discovered she was under the guise as a male, she stayed quiet. However, Kakarotto would have none of that.

"_Listen to me, Sharurotto. I have a plan._" That got her attention at once. Only one person would call her that. Somehow, her brother Kakarotto had managed to speak through their friend Taritsu, and it weirded her out. Nonetheless, she listened to what he needed to say.

"_You probably realized by now I'm in Taritsu's body. Unfortunately he fell asleep due to the pain and mental strain his power had when he released the first bracer. In a while, he'll be waking soon, so if you two want to get out of this alive, you're going to have to follow his command_."

Charlotte couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her brother was basically telling her "_screw you guys, this is your problem and I'm heading out for some fun. Deal with it_". However, Kakarotto knew well enough he couldn't just leave her in the dark.

"_Look. I can't tell you the plan or else it'll compromise his parameter of thinking. Taritsu needs to assess these limitations on his own, or else he'd feel pressured by the fact as well as for your safety. Trust me, I know him well enough to understand he'll come with a plan. But there's one thing you have to do._"

"_What's that?_"

"_Remind him to destroy the blood samples they took from him. We can't allow them to take it._"

She was about to reply, but the men were just about nearing the pod; a couple meters more and they'd hear the conspiring children. Thinking quickly, Charlotte found herself shamelessly kissing her accompanying hostage to avert their suspicion. Opening her grey eyes, she saw the broad twinkling eyes of Taritsu, who had just woken up prior to the kiss. Face flushed, he tried to deny any strange feelings he had in his mind. '_I couldn't have just kissed a boy. Besides, he's like a brother to me. Family doesn't show affection this way._'

"_Oho?_ So you're using what little time you have left to complete experiences huh?" Johnstonii leered over the two.

Lunging forward, the madman took Charlotte, much to Taritsu's dismay. He tried to help the struggling kid, but found himself restraint pretty elaborately, and much of his power was diverted by the pod. All he could do was observe the two men as they proceeded to use Charlotte as the official test subject.

"You have the serum ready, Johnstonii?"

"Yes," he revealed his palm, showing a vial of blood contained in it. The rest of the samples were safely stored in the pod. That way, they'd have an easy getaway without forgetting their serum. "And _The Orb_ is with you, I take it?"

"Why, it's just warming up. Having to rewire the building's electrical circuits was difficult enough while those two were inside. Fortunately, we can thank them for directing the conferences away from the WTC. Else, we'd have to rely on lightning strikes."

Johnstonii liked the elaborate planning of his counterpart. It was almost as if the _Eudoran_ was a naturally gifted _Tsufuru_: cunning, devious opportunist, and would never think twice when it came to exploiting others to forward the plans in his favor. The similarities would likely catch the eye of his uncle Ivo Spirov; both wished to improve their species, but that's where the appreciation would end typically. Velaris wished for his species to have superiority, whilst Spirov did so through gaining knowledge of everything, and preserving whatever he deemed worthy. '_Maybe_ _I'll do him a favor sometime._'

"By the way. What does the serum consist of?"

Velaris raised an eye. Should he tell him? Johnstonii would never turn on him; that much is true since he full heartedly assisted their agenda and organization. "The old formula was a compound we discovered in the late 60's. It came from the DNA of an ancient organism, but there was some missing genes we had to fill with our own. Seeing as we didn't have the technology at the time, most transformations had to be done _in vitro_\- though we did have a single case in which one was _in utero_."

"Ah, so that's why you kept Veras."

The organization had abducted the woman in hopes of taking her child, but it was too late as she had already given birth to the child. It was quite difficult as well, since the transformation didn't mutate anyone living in the public world to indicate that child; they might have just remained in peak condition most of the time. And even after having brainwashed Veras to work for them in hopes she found her child, she had a missing amount of memory- 2 years worth to be precise. The fact that BALM had also made a similar serum from scratch didn't help their case at all either, since now they had to filter through a bunch of super soldiers.

"Yes. However, any information we could extract from her was lost. The only hope we had was to inject the serum once more and wait for the memories to restore, but it seems that due to her being injected during her pregnancy had conditioned her to remain immune to the effects of any ailments. Ergo, we theorized that a reintroduction of the same compound into her system would restore the missing memories."

He frowned. Johnstonii could barely follow the logic in that explanation. If they had originally had used the compound on Veras, and it had the desired effect to create super beings, then why did they strive to obtain this 'fabled' compound? "Didn't your researchers develop improved versions of the compound though?"

"Of course, why wouldn't we have progressed? The process has gotten better over the years that we could now transform born individuals. Yet..."

"Yet what?"

Velaris shuddered, remembering the horrors of their experimentations. Lots of loyal members were lost to their tinkering. "...the compound we have has an uncanny tendency to mutate after certain exposure to sunlight. For some unknown reasons, the rays of the sun initiates their metamorphosis, causing them to convert into stone statues. Once they emerge from that hibernative state, they have this impulse, this drive that leaves them intent to assimilate living matter. All of them mutated, except Veras."

'_Ah,_ _and so she was kept along as an exterminator._' Briefly, he signaled for him to stop. They could continue with these explanations later; they seemed interesting. Besides, Johnstonii could already imagine Veras having exterminated abominations, but would never dare try to harm a living member of the same species, be it old, young, or the enemy of the organization's cause. The most she did, as it seems, was hinder their efforts.

Looking back at their tied down subject, Velaris prepared _The Orb_ as Johnstonii placed the vial inside the syringe. Once they would implant the serum, they'd move on to the next step and place the kid within the metal containment unit to ensure maximum exposure to stimulate the entire body. This would have gone smoothly, if they hadn't accounted for one fact.

Taritsu may have been restraint by his arms, but he never was restricted to just using those.

Shifting his weight forward, the child focused while utilizing the limb he hadn't practice with in years. Apparently, all members of his family had tails. It was a commodity within the Rutabaski family, and one that could be traced back over thousands of years. The reason he never did like to use his tail was a simple, and hypocritical reason considering why; he thought it looked weird, and his father never revealed his in public. It was only naturally that he'd consider it not "_cool_" as children would say. He was still a kid despite his maturity after all.

Having successfully deactivated his restraints, Taritsu quickly rummaged through the pod in search of anything useful. Since there was two men up against him, he needed to plan his attack carefully- lest he risk his friend be a sacrifice. With his thoughts revolving around that fact, he inwardly grew ashamed when they went back to the earlier event. '_Kakarotto strangely has incredibly effeminate lips. Then again..._' He thought back as to all the memories he had of Kakarotto. They only supported the observation further. '_Keep yourself together. This is your friend; he's been with you for a long time. I can't let him die._' Then, in the corner of his eye, he discovered an interesting artifact.

'_Hehehe. This'll do._'

"Initiating switch-" Velaris stopped his actions when he saw the pod open. This unscheduled pause made Johnstonii irate, and just as he turned to see what idiotic happenings his counterpart had been held up with, his mind blanked from fear. Checking with his visor, it indicated the boy had grown much more powerful, and possibly deadlier with his actions. '_I can still outwit him though. No known species can out gambit a Tsufuru-jin._'

"Mind telling me why he has _The Orb?_" Johnstonii couldn't lie his way out of this. Doing so would compromise the mission of his species, and it wasn't like they would have any other opportunities finding another power source of that object's caliber. What the boy had in his hands was a replica, but Velaris didn't know that.

"By all due respect Chief, this one is incredible. Having fought and drained him near death, he managed to survive. Be wary; he's the speedster the foot soldiers had trouble with. I also suspect his body processes everything at an incredible rate, most likely at a rate triple the norm, at the least."

However, Velaris was more worried about the object in his hand rather than what degree of threat the boy possessed. That object, wielded by an inexperienced, could doom them all. Looking back, he saw that the orb he had mounted was still there, but his suspicions did not falter.

"Johnstonii. Truthfully: Did you, or did you not, intend on stealing _The Orb?_"

...

"ANSWER ME YOU DAMNED FOOL!"

It was then Taritsu found his opportunity. With all the variables in place, he knew how to manipulate this in his favor. "He was edging you on. From what I can tell, he had ambition, so he rose in the ranks. Surpassing all, he positioned himself in a neat spot, observing your secrets, your technology, and the knowledge your organization had. He's created a functional replica and replaced it with yours, planning on knocking you out and taking everything for his own agenda." The color in his eyes now shone a bright seafoam. The same could be said of the blue tint in his hair, now transitioning to cobalt.

"In fact, why would two members of different species work together in an unofficial joint partnership? I'll tell you why. Because they are the real threat to the fate of Eudora." Taritsu finished calmly, then glanced over to Charlotte who was thankfully not modified.

"Is this true Johnstonii? Does the boy speak the truth?"

Initially, silence only answered once more. Rolling out of his dazed state, Johnstonii went from shock to mild irritation and then, full on anger. "Of course not. He's playing you for a fool. Why would you trust a mere stranger over an acquaintance?" A strange twitching of his hands called his attention. Likely due to anxiety.

That revealed enough for Velaris to know his intentions. However, he was not quick enough to stop the incoming blow from behind as a camouflaged drone flew into his skull, delivering enough concussive force to end his life instantly. Taritsu hadn't a chance seen it coming, since it had silent emissions and didn't disturb the vibrations in the air. He did however, move fast enough to take the true artifact before Johnstonii could react. "Hah! Give it up Snives. I've outdone you, so any moves you make now would just be futile."

His brow rose. Silently, convulsions in his throat began, and continued to rise in volume as an uncanny madman's laughter filled the air. "Outmatched you say? You truly are a naive species." He stated as he backed away from the two. Taritsu didn't think much of what he was doing, only that it was further granting him the advantage. Yet, that line piqued an interest in him. '..._just what is he getting at anyway?_'

Rolling up his sleeves, he revealed a vial attached onto a pistol like device, which he fired a wispy bolt of energy towards the artifact in Taritsu's hand. It caused him to drop the artifact in response, noticing that it caused a small crater on impact. This allowed Johnstonii to run back in the mere moment he was distracted, leaping over the ledge as he revealed to him a grim fact. "An amateur strategist can only win this battle, child. This isn't your average game of chess. Though you gaining possession on that device was a wrench in our plans, I have something far greater of value. YOUR DNA!"

And with that, he coded in several combinations on his pistol-device screen, activating the rocket propulsions hidden in his boots, with an accompanying jet pack appearing from the panel mounted around his torso triggered simultaneously.

Blank. Nothing. The boy's mind that had processed 50 alternative moves had been overwhelmed by the shock of his enemy's cunning gambit. The entire ordeal was a failure on his part. He failed to catch the evildoer, he let him take a life, and he arrogantly disregarded using his super speed in the first place. Yet, he tried his best, knowing well that if he broke down now, he'd fail another's life. Steeling himself, Taritsu freed Charlotte from the cuffs and help her down, still considering her as male.

She knew that he didn't take death well, but there wasn't much he could do about it. They have chosen a life of transgression, so sooner or later they would have to pay for their actions. Briefly, she contemplated whether or not she should talk it out with him, but it seemed Taritsu had made his decision.

In bitter silence, he crouched over to where the artifact laid and tried lifting it up. Immediately he reeled his hand back, seething as he tolerated the pain, causing Charlotte to gasp since he still behaved unnaturally solemn.

In the corner of her eye, she observed the adults heading towards them from their ascension; Vasilis had brought them over, with the exception of her father as he stubbornly chose to scale the 55 stories from the ground, and Sedrick who rushed through all the floors. Knocking the door ajar, it made Taritsu's body to twitch as he began to hold his hands up to his head. His mental strain was stacking up since he wasn't used to the power kept from him by the bracers.

"_Mauricio_! Are you alright?" Sedrick asked whilst closing the distance and trying to comfort his son. This caused the boy to slap the hand away, intent on handling the grave issue himself despite not having the mental condition and physical resistance to do so. A shock of energy passed onto Sedrick, but what made him disheartened was the cold reaction his son displayed towards his aid. Yanagi breathed sharply at the sight, and hopped out of the craft much to Vasilis's dismay.

Baddack didn't think twice in enveloping his daughter; so far as he was concerned, they were both alive, and that was all he cared about. However, looking up at his friends, he saw the distress in their eyes. Looking towards the young boy, he saw it as well. Taritsu, who regularly should be described as a kid with dark hair and eyes, having hair that hanged around his neck and an odd tufts of his hair that shot outwards in spikes, had most of his hair gradually dragging backwards in multitudes of them. Those tufts of hair looked like needles, but it wasn't the appearance that concerned them.

His erratic behavior and insistence of taking care of "_it_" on his own was the true cause of fear.

"Taritsu, you have to communicate with us. This isn't healthy for you to take responsibility so young. As your parent's we're here for you." Yanagi's input was spot on as she caught the sight of tears welling up by her son's eyes. However, he kept telling them that it was too late. They'd probably die in a futile attempt to help. That response made Baddack agitated. How dare the boy speak with such inconsideration!

A pulse of white, unstable energy emanated from the object in his hands. It was suddenly clear he was trying his best to stay strong. He wasn't acting irrational; emotional was more like it. Despite being a 10 year old genius, even he had his limits, and knew full well that he hadn't much time to keep the artifact from going off on them. Placing a hand on his small shoulders, Baddack whisked the orb away, feeling the strain the kid tolerated and grimaced. '_Damn he's surprisingly stronger._' "Get out of here. They left a bomb and it's pretty close to going off."

Sedrick and Yanagi both comprehended the gravity of the situation, but stood agape as the two BALM agents who accompanied Taritsu before walked passed them and stopped before the middle aged man. The archer had this knowing look that shifted into a frown and the other seemed to have swallowed all fear. Silently, they agreed that their fate awaited them. Taking the orb away, Vincent motioned for Baddack to leave them, while Luke used what he could of the scrap technology left of the makeshift lab station for a containment device.

"They've filled me in on what we currently have ourselves dug into. Our little champion here was managing a mass destruction device, and it's overflown with energy. Don't even try to absorb any of it Sedrick; that could set it off immediately." Vasilis shouted over the whirring sounds in the air. "The assassin claims he may have a means to prevent it, but they won't risk any unnecessary deaths. Everyone else in the city has been evacuated already, so get in, we're getting out of here!"

And with that, once the group entered the personal aircraft, Vasilis took off without looking back, as Taritsu, who still cried from the pain and misery looked back and saw a white light of energy envelope the two. Giving in to his fear, he found himself passing out as his mother held him still and coaxed him. What awaited them later would have to wait. For now, they were simply glad he had not suffered a tremendous sacrifice.

* * *

"I didn't intend the Helicarrier of yours as a convenient landing strip."

Since the group had left the WTC tower, the flight went uneventful until Yanagi considered placing the inhibitor back onto her son. It seemed like a harmless and logical act, but none of them expected the boy to radiate an electromagnetic pulse strong enough to knock out Vasilis's engines, and had to manually activate the backup generators. Weird as it had seemed, the boy may have carried a residue of that artifact's energy with him.

Nick Miles, current Director of the Modern Brotherhood of Assassins and Leading Magnificients, was a mysterious man to most. Many who have heard of the man would believe him an urban legend; military men know him as the "bringer of death", the impoverish as a lavishing saint, and to those under his wing: a hedonistic visionary. But alas...

Those were mere assumption by the plaything the average mind could understand.

Because they didn't know Nicholas Miles. At least not as much as J. Greil Rutabaski had known him. And that was why Sedrick, Yanagi, and Vasilis feared him, for if it made the old man constantly assess the situation- made him think, writhe, and struggle with what terms and conditions Miles had for them- then they would no doubt have an aversion of the current director of BALM. Baddack, however, had his own reasons to stay away, so he wasn't going to stick around with the ever watchful eye of the agents. Deciding it was best to seek a familiar soul, he went off to find his son.

"Well... I'm glad we could meet anyways, else I would had have to arrange a meeting with all of you. We all know how tedious it is to set an appointment that fits our schedules, much less setting one for four members." His toothy smile expressed itself as he joked. Nicholas was a well aged, tall, muscular man who's wavy hair and deep brown eyes could calm virtually any hard-hearted individual- same being true if he wanted to defrost the cold-hearted. It made Yanagi wonder if this man had a double-life; he seemed like he could pass as a billionaire playboy. There was a definitive amount of charisma he gave off, but it was like venom to the three.

"Oh. You don't have to be so formal. Relax for a bit; you've all been through a lot today." He reminded them as Sedrick tried to reassure them that they didn't have to say anything despite the social pressure.

*nervously laughing* "Well, I've been doing it for so long that it's practically second nature." Sedrick smiled with brilliance. He didn't know where the conversation would lead up to, but so long as it was like this, he'd manage.

Nick then pulled up a point of reference for a strategic change of topic. "Hmm, but you seem laxed when you're out on your escapades."

Sedrick, stunned, played it off with modesty. It was well known within the inner circle of the UN and Kairne's national army that he was a man capable of upholding the law. Just him alone was equivalent to an entire tactical assault team consisting of, borrowing the terms of King Xetsu's time, Class A Striders. However, Miles wasn't very appreciative of how the man tried him for a fool.

"You're a man of high caliber, Sedrick. Fact of the matter is, you're much stronger than your father, if we compared you at the age of 22 respectively. However, Greil's reached his prime and hasn't bothered honing his skills, whereas you're still capable of managing Level 9 operations. If it weren't for you, then we'd have a problem back in the city." However, Sedrick didn't want to keep all that attention to himself. In truth, it was a joint operation done by his friends and family.

"Really? So... does that include your son?"

"Eh?" '_What is he getting at?_'

"WHAT DOES MY GRANDSON HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?" Boomed a familiar voice. It was Johannes Greil's anger laced tone that boldly stated "_I'm the one in charge. Speak with me and me alone,_" and it made Miles glad to see the old associate of his; his Alumni if you considered how crucial he was to BALM's success in the late 1960s.

However, Greil thought less of Miles that he would allow showing. Ever since he was passed the mantle of leadership, Miles had this tendency to sacrifice for the sake of the greater good. He had first discovered how rotten he was when he denied sending a rescue team for Old man Phillip E.O. Quinn, a man who had risked everything for his grandfather's success, and one of BALM's "Men of Honor". And all because he didn't want to stir trouble with the Grunde Schützen. Later instances of his rotten nature showed up when he withheld vital information of the Euric Demons from BALM's lower agency, as a high level threat that needed to be apprehended immediately.

In the end, their success all rode upon Phillip Sr.'s vast resources from his foundation (there was a name confusion by setting up an academy with a similar name) and a ragtag group of Hadou warriors. Afterwards, Miles had finally decided to step in, and caused Greil's life to descend into the distrustful nature he currently has.

"Welcome back, man. It's nice to see an old hero after its been years. You know you're an inspiration to us all."

"Shut it Nicholas; flattery won't help your case." Greil never did like having people praise him for the things he did in the past as if he were the sole reason they avoided global extinction. To him, doing so was dishonoring their memory...

"In any case, Rutabaski. You can't deny that your grandson is and indeed will be a great hero. I mean see for yourself; I didn't expect to see him display such a degree of prowess like today until a couple years into the future. He'd make a great agent for the brotherhood you know."

"MY GRANDSON WAS INVOLVED IN TODAY'S DISASTER?" Greil honestly believed the young boy was at school, but seeing the glum looks his son and daughter-in-law had confirmed the worst. Relaxing his muscles so as to keep the robotic hand of his from going off in a twitch frenzy, Greil finally asked. "...where is the lad. I want to see him."

"Resting at the Sick Bay obviously. We're assessing his sudden increase in abilities since this morning." It was then that Miles made his first mistake.

Seeing the look on Vasilis's face, Greil knew that something was up, and he had to know now. '_If_ _I try forcing the fool into spouting the truth, it'd just set an unfavorable disadvantage._'

Without a word, he stormed out of the room, prompting the others to follow out of curiosity. Once he arrived, he heard three voices. One was his grandson, the other was Baddack's youngest, and the last was someone he never expected to see again.

"Jojo? Is it really you?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

** Identitatis**

* * *

**November 4th, 1963**

The events of the week prior were vivid to Johannes. On the day after his birthday celebration, the day his father had promised to return home from administering a few projects at the International Science Foundation, which he knew as Speedwagon's Foundation, the former _Padrone, _Juliano Marzo, suffered a tragic fate as he had done all in his power to keep Boruvia's Imperial inheritor from leaving the safe haven. His father's connections with BALM had managed to take down the megalomaniac leader, but the aftermath left both superpowers without a designated leader. Daisuke Kaido, age 23, who personally went off to seek guidance from the wise king, found himself suffering with a grand amount of guilt as he saw the young boy take the news rather painfully.

The reasons behind that was of a previous wrong doing done unto him. His childhood friend Cesare had stopped talking with him 4 years prior after having been abandoned by his "deadbeat father" as he put it, and vanished without a trace a year following that- presumably with the purpose of having his revenge. It was only natural that when his father died at his intermediary age of 15, his emotions burst out, crippling the growing adolescent as he had no idea how to manage Kairne. Day after day, he stayed in the palace, pacing around the grounds as he tried to formulate a plan, but his distressed mind couldn't handle much. Every possible bump in his plans only served as a reminder that he was inferior to his father. He had years of experience, whereas Johannes had theories and knowledge from books; those weren't enough to maintain the nation's strong morale, probably wavering since the news.

The opposite was true. Despite knowing all scheduled appointments taking place in the palace were unchangeable, officials knew that they had to respect the grieving adolescent. His honorary grandmother, who was his grandfather's sister, took control of all internal issues, ensuring Johannes he wasn't a liability as he claimed during a bout of degrading his self-confidence. He would have to thank Valeria for her kindness the next time he saw her.

After a while, Johannes settled on lazing the day away, not bothering to check on what news the servants had, and neither did they bother him out of respect. Today was much the same, until a series of knocks came at his door. Grunting, he let them know it was open without caring to look at who it was. In came Phillip E.O. Quinn, better known as Speedwagon, and he came bearing news for his departed friend's grandson.

"So what? You want me to go overseas and lose my life as well?" His sudden outburst and fiery scowl directed at the old man diminished as he saw how it had affected his well-intended "uncle". Sighing, he began once more in a softer tone. "It's not like I need school or anything."

"This isn't a generic school, Jojo." Phillip had connections with his old comrades back at Europa. As it turned out, they had given up their ways and established a "Boy's Correctional Institute" since the war ended all those years ago. Phillip never had to send his boy nor Tarique's, but he held onto the favor in case he'd ever need it. Johannes didn't need life correctional experiences, but what he did need was a direct exposure to positive morale and hands-on experience in which he could apply his knowledge for reference.

"Well, how long do you suppose this will take?"

That, Phillip didn't know, but what he did know, was Johannes would inevitably focus his entire being once he realized it was all or nothing. "Sometimes there are cases where children as young as 6 or 7 don't leave until they're 19. I'd imagine less time for you, seeing as you're well disciplined, Jojo. Maybe 7 years; you'll probably have a great time there and perhaps stick around after you're cleared." He ended with an optimistic approach.

Johannes didn't say anything. The silence between them let Phillip know he wasn't quite thrilled with the idea, so he left the room to let him think about it a while longer. Stepping out, he saw a panting young woman with dark hair and amber eyes, with all the right areas filling up nicely for her athletic build. He suspected a hint of her being an "8 frame", since Phillip could have sworn seeing a girl vaguely similar to the current Hadou mentor back in the day when Johannes played indiscriminately with any child that gave him the time of the day. She looked him in the eye and nodded with full on confidence that what she would do inside could persuade Jojo.

"Catalina? I thought your mother took you with her on that never-ending leave months ago."

She walked up close to him, slapping him for the unnatural pessimism, then kissed him before the shock left Johannes. When they pulled out for air, Johannes prompted her to speak, his mind occupied as to why she decided such a brash approach to confess. Never was Jojo more wrong when his target of affections revealed what she needed to say.

"Johannes. You're practically an adult by now, and yet despite your youth, you worry the same as a mid-aged fool. Where's the Jojo who's smile could lighten the room on the darkest of nights, the Jojo who would support you when you're down? You were an idealist, a crazy, yet lovable idealist who everyone knew they could leave it to him and rest assure that he'd be there for you till the bitter end. Please, promise me that this isn't how you'll go out; that there's still a vast amount of universal hope to give, a light in the sea of darkness, that's who I want to see living. The Johannes Greil Rutabaski I know could never be replaced by a mere husk of a... a cold machine! The Johannes I know is my-" She paused, holding in her tears. Having made it this far into her inspiring speech, she found it quite difficult to end it out of fear of the moment in which a glimmer of his former self passing once it was over.

He didn't need to hear any words from that point onwards. All he needed to know was the fact someone out there still cared, that they wouldn't walk out on him, that they'd share their pain and misery, but also raise the other when they're down. Smiling, he pulled Catalina into a hug and whispered that of which he felt- gratitude. The only thing left was to ask if she would wait for him until he returned, but she gave him a sad frown as she didn't know when she'd return as well. "Ah, Jojo."

From her coat pockets, she presented a star motif in the form of a large clip. He assumed that it was for his clothing, but her hands went pass that and onto his cobalt hair. Now adorning a chrome yellow star in his hair, Johannes found it difficult to keep from laughing at the smiling self-righteous girl he had known since they were little.

"Will you wear that on you at all times?" Her tone was warm and expecting. As if he was going to reject her request; if there was one thing about Jojo which Catalina knew about, it was his ability to fulfill requests to the best method possible with the same initial intent- and not messing around with the feelings of others. The reason she placed it in his hair was to merely test if he was turning around.

"Cross my heart and hope to die." He stated, resulting in a giddily exchange of appreciation.

Now filled with renewed passion, Johannes went off to see Speedwagon about that offer.

* * *

That memory played through Greil's mind as he heard the unspoken nickname he hadn't heard in 30 years. Before him was the woman from that precious memory; his one and only love partner, whom he knew well enough to know that she was the real deal. And yet, he felt something a bit off with her.

"Jojo. Why, you look stressed! Did Cesare prank you to this condition?"

'_So that's why she feels off to me._' A sharp intake of breath made him cough at the reminder of his old friend's name. "Yes. Cesarino's been pranking me... _eternally._" He muttered the last part, both with the intention of softening the truth and checking to see if his suspicions were correct. He was right when Catalina asked to go back to Sorrento and visit her mother. The old woman had been dead for years now, however, he didn't want to reveal it as a gruesome death.

Slowly, he clasped her hands in a manner reminiscent of asking one a great favor, and with them together he told her. "Catalina,... Elisa hasn't been around for some time now."

She gave him an addled smile, having thought she didn't hear him right.

"Your mother passed away five years ago. It was a peaceful death, having come to terms that she hadn't seen you in years."

"What are you talking about Jojo? I've only been gone for two. And besides..." She tried to show him that she possessed the sacred stone, but grew alarmingly distressed as she hadn't. The others watched as the Padrone solely managed the situation, handing his acquaintance a golden encased jewel that was disguised as an ornament on his shirt's collar.

Seeing this, Miles's eyes felt as if they deceived him. After years of searching for that lost stone, it turned out Greil had it under his protection. Yanagi had a similar reaction, but for totally different reasons as she realized the truth with the gentle exchange the two elder adults had. Looking over at her husband, she saw him fluster between contempt and uncertainty. Her son smiled seeing the events unfold as well, seeing as he shared his mother's ability to piece the clues, but he sort of wavered when he noticed Charlotte smiling and glancing at him.

It almost made Vasilis chortle, to which when he recomposed himself, found that he did. "Sorry. I'll just ask of the kid's conditions, don't mind me."  
Miles did the same, stating they'd talk later while he took an important call on the findings of the chances of survival in the EC Blast.

Returning to the memory mystery Catalina had, she began to remember a few facts here and there, but not the sufficient amount needed to confirm her missing life. Eying Taritsu, she saw a direct replica of her love in child form. She assessed what she could from there. "Is this your grandson, Jojo? He looks every bit like you, just a couple shades darker but you can see it."

"Of course, so I've been told."

Catalina's gaze landed upon Sedrick, having this warm feeling about him but was still uncertain. "So this is his father, meaning he's your son, no?"

Sedrick flinched as his wife touched his cheeks, causing the children to giggle at his mannerism of responding to the act like a scared sensitive man- unlike his battle persona.

Again, Greil confirmed it, but felt a bit frustrated when Catalina went on to say the wrong words. "Who's his mother?"

Internally face palming, Greil told her to take a closer look and see if she recognized anything. She did so with a half-lidded stare, analyzing him with the interest one would have for a beetle. Finally, it dawned on her. "_Riccardo_? MY BABY!" She hugged her grown son, not caring that it was embarrassing. She had missed a huge chunk of her son's life, so who wouldn't be ecstatic to see their child?

Releasing him from her embrace, Catalina inquired why it seemed her son hadn't an ounce of _machismo_, as she expected Johannes to have taught him to embrace it. He dropped his stare to eye the floor, embarrassed with his answer he was about to share. "While you were gone for the rest of his developing childhood, I didn't find it necessary to prepare him for Hadou training. Every other skill he's learned it, and I suspect he also has our mannerisms: my disarming flamboyance and your sense of honor. I call it, _Cabellerosidad_."

"Ah, don't tell me... it's similar to how Cesare was." Her 175 cm frame stretched as she leaned close to Johannes' 195. "_Was my little boy a lady killer__?_"

His voice choked from the embarrassment, seeing as she was still as much as a covert pervert as he remembered. If it weren't for her condescending nature, Elisa would have probably found out of the premarital vague relationship they had behind closed doors. She was a kind person, as she had given them consent later, but as a mentor- she was stern. Had she figured their actions sooner, he imagined she throw him back into the pit. '_Thank_ _goodness I don't have to do that anymore._'

Yanagi couldn't believe what she heard. Her mother-in-law, was coy; she'd play innocent, but with all her formality, she played her husband like a fiddle. Not that the form she was doing it was bad- since she spoke of suggestive topics- rather, it was how she wanted to know if her son had any of those qualities as well. Thinking back on their interactions, he might have~but he only had his sights for her. A thought struck her: Why did Rutabaski men lead monogamous lives, even after their spouse was out of the picture?

Sedrick may have sensed her thoughts, and he relaxed her nerves as he places his hands on her shoulders, rubbing them. It was easy to play off the act as just resting himself on her, especially with the height difference they shared with the older couple. Thinking quickly, so as to not escalate the heinous adult act in front of the children, she went ahead and brought her son with her. Seeing Sedrick's dejected look when he saw her choice, she couldn't help but give him a quick peck on his cheek. "I'm off to see if he's able to wear the bracers now." She ended with a high school girl's triumphant hum, inviting Charlotte to come along.

"Oh, so he's modest. That's nice."

"You sound as if you wanted him to have his own concubine." Greil anticipated her pitch lowering as dejection, but it wasn't. Catalina was merely withholding the recurring headache she was having since she awoke earlier. She didn't consider it a bad thing, since she was recovering her memories gradually. Sedrick supported his mother seeing her wobbling balance.

"You should rest,_ lina_. It's best for the mind."

"I'm just a little light headed. It'll pass."

However, Greil would have none of that. "No. You'll need to rest now. There will be lots of things to do once we land."

Sighing, she gave into his demands and smiled. He was no less considerate than he was decades ago. Besides, she remembered that a significant lack of concentration would disrupt her breathing when she most needed it. Looking up at Johannes and her son, she saw how crippled he was when comparing them. True, Johannes had suffer fatal blows from the Ultimate Life Form, and she briefly recalled one of his lungs collapsed, alongside with him losing his hand. Her son was at top physical performance- but he was never taught Hadou properly; most likely since Johannes couldn't perform the ability correctly, or he outright did what he could to keep him away from the dangers of relying on it.

'_He's certainly a doting father._' She thought as the two let her be.

* * *

Nicholas turned pass the corner and found the two fathers walking down the hall, most likely in search of the others who left before them. Knowing Greil would oppose what he wanted, Miles did his best to rephrase his request in a manner he would not refuse. Working up the courage, Miles called him out.

"Greil, have you considered allowing the boy joining the brotherhood? He's a great fighter, and obviously he's got strategy. By the way, let him know the two men that stayed behind survived the ordeal. They've been exposed to the blast, but...best to be cautious and monitor their health." '_I can't tell them that we're facing an alien threat. No, not when their main concern is the boy, and especially since they've gotten the kid's DNA._'

Johannes gave him a wry look, wondering why he never gave up on this insistence. His forefather's may have been Director's of the brotherhood before 1948, but it became a distant tie between Rutabaski and the organization when his father decided to dedicate his time with his son, rather than keep a surveillance on the world. Perhaps it was because since Juliano left, the organization was forced into functioning as a response team over public matters. It wasn't well received within the community, but it was the best option they had, considering how many countries around the world were affiliated. This led him to conclude that they needed a Rutabaski to be groomed into the position, but it meant allowing family to adopt their philosophy- perhaps initiating a Authoritarian campaign that would be justified by the world's greatest moral leaders.

Whatever Miles had in mind, Johannes did not want him to gain access to such dark possibilities. However, he also didn't want them to view his family as a threat. Just the thought of it ate at him. "Miles, you seem to have forgotten. Over the course of history, none of my ancestors dedicated their life into the style you are suggesting. It's not that they see the brotherhood as condescending. In reality, they believed it autonomous- capable of managing on its own. If any of my family, or descendants ever do join, it wouldn't be someone so close to the influence of the _intelligentsia_."

"I see." Miles wouldn't give up on it though. "Then what about him training self-control? Obviously, the way I see it, since he took off that inhibitor The Guardian gave you, then his power is bound to escape. Didn't you guys have issues with the jet that lead to you to land on the ship?" He threw in that last part to appeal to the Padrone. Although he couldn't see it, Johannes knew his son was pissed. Calling him incompetent didn't matter, he never did care what others thought of him, but that crossed the line. Implying that his son was now a realistic threat, given time, Sedrick rejected Miles immediately.

The banter between the two escalated, with Sedrick's dull wit sanding itself to the honed levels of his wife. Eventually Johannes had to interfere before Miles truly considered treating his son and his family a bunch of pariahs. "Listen, I know you are merely asking for preventative measures and I'm glad that reacting isn't the only thing BALM is doing nowadays. But there is a lot of loaded responsibility that comes with raising the boy. He's not like a soldier, nor is he a mere child that will believe everything you spout. There's danger that comes with him, and not the kind that comes with his power; no, it's more of the kind that you'd recognize as "Above Good and Evil". It's not anything like neutrality, Nicholas; my grandson has a powerful mind, and he developed quickly enough in the toddler years to begin instilling his mind with knowledge. He observes, questions and tests what works and what doesn't, which would frighten anyone without knowing a single bit about his feelings. And yet, he casts away doing anything remotely about what normal children would do at his age, not wanting to waste his words on things that don't benefit him at the slightest. True, he may see to it that he helps you, but only because he feels like it's his obligation."

"It's because of this that joining BALM would risk his motivation. Say if you will, if a boy with the speed of a race car, the strength of an enhanced Eudoran, and the powerful mind of a computer were the tip of the iceberg. How would you handle him years after, if the only sense of right and wrong is that of one that considers the results, rather than the means of which needed to achieve them, were regarded as the sole indication of success? That is why, I am considering having him trained, as well as mentored by me at the palace." Johannes finished his reasons.

"I agree as well," came the input of Baddack. He had returned with some news, particularly surrounding that of the days events. However, because of what BALM did to the conference members today, they wouldn't immediately conclude whether or not to pass a certain legislature. So, he thought it best to see what _El Padrone_ would do.

A couple blinks after, Nick put his hand up to his chin, and leaned on the wall. Greil had proven once more that his way was superior, and made it seem that he was doing them all a favor. However, the day he'll regret that selfishness was nearing soon; Miles was sure that the same emotional-attachment depravity that affected Greil in the past would undo all the preventative work they planned for the boy. Especially since Baddack stated it was on national news. "I'll forget that you had insulted me, but I do agree with your views on how to raise him. Also, if he is concerned out of what happened this day, let him know that we're on top of things so those criminals won't be causing any threats any time soon. Perhaps later, he may be of service to the world, teach them that he is not as he seems. And yet, the Sagratians certainly believe that he's a menace; just look at what the reports have been saying."

They stayed silent. Never had the Sagratians played fair after The Great War; their greed for control and pleasure was inhumane, borderline psychotic even. Had they been this way since Kairne was freed from the slave trade a 1000 years back? No, a nation like that would hardly last 300 years before crumbling under the force of revolts. The only certainty was the fact that it may have lost lands, waged wars over neighboring countries, and assimilated small territories as provinces. To that end, they learned to utilize democracy- which was quite instable, but it worked- thanks to their "tolerance" of many religions.

"Even so... their radical views shouldn't cause much distress." Greil signaled for the two to join him. "When he is ready, he will make his choice. Then we'll see if what he chooses leads the life of a savior, or that of a fiend."

* * *

Boredom dulled his mind as he continued to read the large books his grandfather picked out for him. After having graduated from university, Taritsu wanted to start his own biology experiments, seeing if he could discover whether or not all members of his species had the potential of the tail gene. However, when Johannes had heard of this plan, he immediately had him sit and read through some history books. Although he was somewhat tolerant of history, Taritsu could not focus much longer on the eloquence of the passages. '_Man, I need a run. Seating down all day is making me stiff._'

Not noticing his younger siblings entering the room, Taritsu jumped at the sensation as they accidently pulled on his tail. With a frown while rubbing his tail, he found it hard to stay mad at the two. '_How cute. If I didn't know better, I'd mistake them for mother and father when they were young. Probably messed around with time travel or something._' For some reason, they found his tail quite interesting, but the eleven year old wasn't fond of them running their hands on it. It was sensitive, which meant more nerves must have run through it than anywhere in his body. "Why don't you two play with your own?"

"_Onii_-_cham_'s is special." Aliya's cute response was soothing. He loved hearing her call him that, especially since her baby versions of honorifics were developing into recognizable ones. Alexander...was different to say the least. While he did love his elder brother, he was a bit scared of him. It didn't help seeing as whenever Aliya could cuddle next to her older brother, she would call him a "scwady cat" and proceed to mock him for his insecurity. Normally Taritsu would tell her that she shouldn't make fun of her twin, as Alexander was a tough kid when it came to everyone else, but something in Alexander clicked and he did things regardless if he was frightened of his elder brother. The protective sibling instinct was active within him.

They continued to mess around him, eventually giving up on his loose and waving tail, much to his relief. According to his mother, it was not a mere plaything; more of a sensory organ and a "sensual" one as she explained. It existed as far back as the family history can account for, and Taritsu was quite intrigued why it wasn't lost throughout evolution- like the majority of the world did. Her only response was that it was an indication of status, and if he really wanted to, he could remove it. Not that he ever want to, seeing as it was valuable for many things... such as his siblings who fell off the table trying to grab a thick pelt covered book.

After the brief jolt of pain he endured from saving them of the fall, Taritsu placed his bookmark and closed the book. "What are you two doing?"

"Read this to us _Onii-cham_." Aliya used her puppy-eyes while Alexander eyed the contents of the book carefully. He didn't understand much at all, but maybe his older brother would know.

'_What the hell? This is pure chicken scratch!_' "I'm sorry, I can't understand the writing. It might be an outdated language, and I'm not able to decrypt it at the moment." He nonchalantly put said book on the table. Determined to see his sister get her way, Alexander quickly flipped through it until he reached a portion of the book that had modern language. The vocabulary was too complex for him, but he knew his brother comprehend it. Subsequently, he pulled on his arm using his tail, ensuring that Taritsu wouldn't throw him out as he could maim his brother's vulnerable appendage.

"Oi, I thought I told you it's not legible at the moment."

"...read." His voice was stern, but his eyes were slightly wavering at the sound of his elder brother's dry remark. Seeing this, he sighed an took another look into the passage he was shown.

_To the scion of my children centuries from now. If you so happen to be reading this, and are from a lineage of my blood and that of the Oriental's blood- the one's I've dubbed from the land of Boruvía- then I solemnly ask that you follow these instructions carefully. In the coming years of my adventures, I have collected a vast array of tools and skills, each assigned carefully for a designated purpose for if they're required. Most notably, the progeny of mine will share a bushy, prehensile appendage- much like my own. They will also possess an affinity to Hagio-sendo, a form of Hadou, as it was passed into me as The Great Mother's approval of my mandated leadership as Champion of my beloved people. By this time, the affinity should have a high potential of being utilized by my descendants, however, true use of it will require two things: approval of the former Champion, and an achievement of unprecedented levels of control you have yet to achieve. However- that will take you ages, so I leave you a gift in the form of a journal. Search for the instructions in my diary._

_-Xetsu Rutabaski _

'_Who the hell is this guy? Did someone just fabricate this as a joke?_' However, reading back on it, Taritsu realized that if it were fabricated, how would the author of the manuscript have known that there would be a converging point between his father's and mother's family. Looking at his sibling's awaiting anticipation, he fabricated an excuse. "It's just another history book, not a fairy tale. You wouldn't want to hear it; it's so lengthy, you'd fall asleep, _Ali_."

Her smile dropped, and she stopped pestering him as she thought the last sentence he said was criticism. Thinking quickly, he grabbed her by the shoulders and told his little brother to listen closely as well. "My lessons will end soon. Want to go out later, maybe eat some chili and visit the petting zoo? I know you wanted to hear a story but I don't know any at the moment. But if you behave, I'll see to it I'll read you a story at night, understand?"

They nodded, and proceeded to leave on a happier note. Alexander stopped in his tracks once he remembered that their grandmother wanted to speak with Taritsu.

"Yeah. I know_ nonna_ Catalina wants to speak with me. I'll do that soon."

"But she said she needed you ASAP, whatever that means." He repeated the term she told him originally, not quite understanding what it meant at his age. Rolling his eyes at the childish quirks his grandmother had, it made sense that she'd tried to liven things up for his grandfather. If anything, he deserved a peaceful lifestyle for all the sacrifices he's done, and for not complaining at the slightest it was too much for him- despite how the stress took its toll on his youth. She, although two years younger, looked quite marvelous as she still had youth, and could pass as his mother's sister. However, stating that Greil was an old man was a bit harsh; there was still some youth, considering how he would insist on him learning how to regulate breathing rhythm and holding it underwater for when the conditions made him feel urgency, but his hairs were gray by now.

Arriving at the double doors, Taritsu finally found his grandmother. Despite having been on the palace grounds for a while now, he still didn't know much about the building and why it seemed to have multitudes of rooms. He wouldn't question them though, what good would it do?

"Ah, _Mauricio_. Thank you for coming." Began the 52 year old woman. Her smile was warm, motherly, and overall had pride in having his presence. It was almost creepy to think that this was the same person he thought back in September. Thankfully she survived the ordeal; how would his grandfather react if she had died after coming back?

"_Sí_, _nonna_." He looked around, having noticed others in the room with her. His parents were currently conversing with a couple of ambassadors of Kairne's smaller provinces that politely asked to have an independence of their own culture, but still abiding to national law like the others, whereas his grandfather was nowhere to be seen. He might as well get this over with if he were to check on his grandfather. "Wasn't there something you wanted of me?"

"Yes, your _nonno _was currently managing some arrangements for you until these guests have arrived. As it turns out, the man has still forgotten to check appointment dates and had to ask your parents to handle formalities." She muttered something about Jojo still needing to take a break, but returned back to informing her grandson. "Any way... please do not leave the grounds until after our guests have taken leave." Leaning towards his ear, she whispered, "_else they'd find out one way or another what you're doing. Then I'd need to come up with an excuse._" Her giggle made him blush at the innuendo. How she was ever considered a responsible adult, he'd never know.

'_There's more to this than stay in the place. She's subtly telling me something, but what..._'

"...and this here is my son." Yanagi introduced the ambassadors to her child. With her were the political members of Kairne's Jakarta province, and noticing how behind them were two younger individuals, he concluded this was what his grandmother meant.

Bowing out of respect, Taritsu was quite shocked to see that kind gesture towards him. Given, he was still rather new to "the royal life", he expected a more reasonable greeting. Afterwards, the ambassador kindly called for the two younger individuals to pay respect. One was a smiling, adoring girl who had a small hint of shyness. The other was a younger, haughty girl that reminded him of Vejita, even having bangs that the boy had (thanks to a hairband that kept most of it from covering her eyes). He would remember to keep that in mind for a later use. From what he was told, they were the Tepelny sisters: Karalynne (the sweet one) and Camila (the arrogant one).

"It's nice to meet you," said the older sibling, "You'll be taking care of us while we're here, no?" Her timid nature was obvious and Taritsu couldn't feel less than worthy while being in her presence. It was so powerful, that he found himself using his mother's language. '_I'm not even sure you could call me the superior one right now. She's so...KAWAII_' His big brother instincts were kicking in, so he had to clutch through the formalities.

While nodding, the boy saw the brief slits of eyes Camila had as she held suspicion over Taritsu's motivation. Being the responsible one of the two, which was surprising for him since he thought innocence usually went with younglings, Camila had the impression of Kowai as she kept this piercing stare at his eyes. Apparently his father mistaken that look and told him to kill the time, and let them head out to the garden. Not really having experience with girls, he chastised himself for making a dorky phrase. Camila continued to give that stare, making him feel out of place in his family's property. '_Yare_ _Yare... what's her deal..._'

The sudden laughter he received from Karalynne came unexpectedly, making Camila drop her animosity and smile. It wasn't entirely to the point where she trusted him, but she relaxed from mentally boring a hole through his skull. Taritsu, however, was reminded of the time he was with Euphemia and tried his hardest to make her feel comfortable due to being separated from the city. He remembered how her lithe body cried, and the pursed lips she had when trying her hardest to voice out what she felt to a complete stranger. Although Taritsu was raised to know when it was best to show emotion, he knew that Euphie was pretty strong regardless- in the emotional sense. "Well... do you two have any questions? I'll try to answer them."

Unsurprisingly, Camila took the opportunity. "How is it that a country boy like you is considered higher on the hierarchy than my father?"

Gasping, Karalynne told her sister to keep that to herself. She was his guest, just as her father was his guest, so it was obviously respect. "Apologize."

Taritsu raised his hand, telling them it was okay. Even he didn't know why the man showed such humility, but if he had to guess... "Common belief is that my family has protected the land and the people for generations. Overtime, they've probably associated them as children of heaven in both the peaceful eras and times of crisis."

"Well, I for one don't believe any of that. To me, you're a naïve child who's vaguely associated with politics, cooped up in your antics studying the sciences. Even if Kairne values the sciences more, having a leader with little regards to social relations would end us up in a dark age."

Taritsu was hardly showing physical response to that harsh critique, but inside, he was scared. Camila, whoever she was, could get under his skin and flail his nerves around, as if she was his superior. She would had gladly continued as well, but Karalynne sought to keep her sister away.

"It was nice spending time with you, but I'm terribly sorry for any inconveniences my little sister caused. Please don't stay mad at her, she's only understanding how the world works, and quite bad at keeping her thoughts to herself." She took her sibling back inside while waving goodbye. Taritsu stood in place for a while now, not counting the time he was there.

Soon after, he found himself blinking out of his thoughts as he heard someone else join him. None other than Charlotte arrived, so he did his best to give his friend a brilliant smile. "Having seen you in a while. What's up?"

She kept quiet at the sight of his eyes, immersed by how he was recently emotionally attacked. She admired him for what he did- keeping his cool under stress. '_He's very strong. Frère was right about him._' Every day she kept thinking more about her brother's friend, who definitely believed that she was the individual she impersonated. At times she considered telling him about her secret, but it frightened her when the possibility of him rejecting her as a friend crossed her mind. '_No. I don't think I'm ready yet. Besides, his grandfather asked for him._'

"Taritsu...-san."

"No need for formalities, Kakarotto. We're brothers, so talk like we are." There was that insistent belief; she wondered if he had forgotten the embarrassing kiss they shared, or if he simply locked it up in his mind since that traumatic experience he had seen. '_Don't think about that. Of course he wouldn't want to remember. Why would he remember; he thinks you're a guy!_'

She saw his childish complexion look up at her as he tried to read her hidden face, making her blush a beet red and step back.

"Hey, watch out."

The action was simple. He lunged forward to save her from falling, and the motion had enough momentum to keep them from falling. However... as for their stance.

"Hey, what's taking you two so long? Come on, _El Padrone_ is waiting for—you." Vejita's irritated voice stopped mid-sentence when he saw them. They had conveniently stood in a dancer's dip, which was very suggestive to the brash. As such, Vejita himself turned 50 shades of red, turned around, and walked back hastily.

With him gone, the two laughed as they stood back properly.

"Anyway," he inquired what Vejita was here for, to which she filled him in. According to his parents, and grandparents, they arranged for him to undergo special training. They didn't state what it was, only letting them know it was necessary and beneficial, even offering both Vejita and herself to join.

Once arriving, Taritsu and Charlotte found his grandfather accompanied by an old monk. He had a white beard, large prayer beads, and a gray single-sleeved gi. In one hand, he held a large, white duffel bag that looked a bit empty. Seeing the two, Johannes was relieved to see his grandson already in his travelling clothes.

"_Pomeridiano, nonno_. Is he a good friend of yours?"

Johannes was glad to see that Taritsu was accepting of his friend. Most would be frightened by just hearing his warrior title, never mind the hulking look he had. It was a good thing Daisuke was able to contact the best in his school of Hadou, especially now that Tarres had taken over. Part of the reason it was difficult to attain contact with the wandering master was the fact he rejected a lot of students; not surprising as he was a martial pacifist training in the darker and edgier part of the Hadou spectrum.

Informing his grandson of the man, what he did, and what he would be training, Johannes proceeded to ask if there was anything he wanted to say. Hoping that he was totally okay with the rules that Tarres would have, he found a few unexpected words coming from the boy.

"Just one: what's _Hagio-sendo_?"

El Padrone had fortunately had his hand under his chin to keep it from dropping, but the shock was evident regardless. Tarres, who thought that this would be another annoyance that impeded his lifestyle and would have been betraying his moral code teaching ignorant kids the art, became lively. "I thought you said he didn't know much of the schooling."

"He doesn't." '_He must have read that manuscript. I'm sure of it._' "Although he is aware of _Seiki no Hadou_, he does not know much more than a few of the stances."

Nonetheless, Tarres was confident he could trust the boy, and by extension, the other two. Not forgetting to answer the valuable question, he informed him if he wanted to see it demonstrated.

"Alright, stand there."

Controlling his thoughts, Tarres channeled the energy he needed to draw out the boy's latent energy. Satisfied, he told him to hit him. "Go on, do it with all your confidence."

'_..here goes._'

Upon landing the blow, a clash of white aura and dark aura blinded the viewing party from seeing what the two saw between their fist. Once it cleared, Tarres made it clear for them. "Hagio-sendo is a form of Hadou far pure and powerful than regular schools of the arts. In it's weakest form, it is stated to protect the user from blight, such as it did when Taritsu made contact with my aura. With increasing intervals of its mastery, the technique begins to unleash potential within the user, even creating what the ancients call _Oras_, others call it _Alters_, whereas the last wielder of Hagio-Sendo called it a '_Stand_'. Seeing as you have rejected my aura, it is sentient enough to understand what would happen to you if contact was made. Look at your fist, Taritsu."

Upon looking, he saw a wispy smoke. It felt as if it held mass, but looking between that of what he saw and the others, he couldn't really tell if he was played as a fool. Only when he saw Charlotte's fixation on it did he understand. "Kakarotto, you see it too? What does it look like?"

"...an energetic mist. It looks protective of your person, Taritsu."

'_So_ _it's up to the point where he's developing one. I wonder what abilities it'll have..._' With a quick introduction of what they'd be training for, Taritsu found Vejita being more ecstatic about it than them. However, when he thought back to what had happened, he considered why it was necessary if his aura reacted that way. "The Satsui no Hadou may as well be the counterpart of life-bearing energy Hagio-Sendo has. However, what was once used as an assassination technique can be used as self discipline. If you take the malicious intent of murder away from the energy you manipulate from what you'll be learning, you'd understand that it is merely a concept of emptiness; a power rare in all of history- it has no shape, no color...the will of the energy will reflect the will of the user. In this sense, Satsui no Hadou is the Hadou that encompasses the earthly elements of the mortal realm, whilst Hagio-sendo is that of the heavenly planes."

The explanation was quite similar to what he read of the teachings of a wise sage, so Taritsu was confident that he may even get to know more from this wise monk. He also felt at peace hearing that it meant he'd have control of the earthly tendencies, like anger, murder, and indulgence. He couldn't wait until the next morning when they were scheduled to leave, but he remembered that he promised his siblings. "Alright. So we're set for tomorrow morning."

"I'd need you three to take these bags and prepare several belongings for a 10 month excursion. Over the course of this training, you will be away from civilization, taking refuge at a temple monastery exclusive only for my students. Now... I will expect you all in due time."

* * *

After spending the first two months learning basic meditation, Vejita was ecstatic to finally get things going. Having learnt a vast array of martial arts, he knew many pressure points and utilized that knowledge to beat Taritsu senseless. Charlotte would abstain from fighting directly, but if she did, learned that she could grapple her opponent and manipulate their biomechanics into technical knockouts, or if need be, concussive blows via finger pokes to their pressure points. It was suffice to say that Taritsu was the victim of their battles, but that didn't concern him much.

Everyday, he'd learn more of Tarres's teachings, understand the philosophy he followed his entire life, and came to appreciate what culture could teach. '_It's_ _almost like a real-time science has occurred over the course of history._'

One day, when he awoke earlier than the others, he found Tarres practicing weird hand motions. Observing the actions carefully, he saw how he gathered collective energy that manifested into a bright blue- reacting with the chemicals in the air no doubt. As soon as he felt it was enough, Tarres released it towards the sea and watched it dissipate. It was a marvelous ability, and Taritsu wanted to learn it.

"Why? You're not ready. During battles, you seem too nervous and jittery in your stance, though they are planted well and the positions are spot on. It causes the energy your body can handle to run off, like water when it overflows. If you find a way to conserve energy, to utilize it when necessary and reserve a portion of it for whenever needed, then I might teach you."

And so conserving the energy he did. It had taken several weeks, but when he finally gotten the hold of it, he was able to withstand Vejita's strikes and counter Charlotte's grapples. Finally allowed to learn the energy based portion of the training, Tarres decided they were worthy enough by now. This time however, Taritsu's control over the energy made him a prodigy in the field, surpassing the other two within minutes of having seen the examples.

It made Tarres very proud that his students were enthusiastic through and through, until the final weeks were coming to an end.

"Vejita, Kakarotto, Taritsu. You three have made me proud to be your master. Within each of you, I see a greatness- a passion and valor that most struggle to obtain. Honor bestows you three as you've learned the burden and responsibility of Hadou; humility hone's your appreciation of the art, keeping you in tune with the ability. Now... now is the time you three return home. If there is anything you need from me, you may visit, and perhaps we may spar or learn from the other's improvements: technique or application."

The three nodded, glad that they had a wonderful teacher like him. Now they were obliged to leave, and so they did as Greil arrived, accompanied by Vasilis.

"Did he obtain control?"

"Yes, wonderfully so. His manipulation of Hadou is excellent, but the application is still a working progress. He's also adept at meditation, though claimed it a bother due to his overworked mind. Sometimes he's got to let go." Then an idea came to him. "What does the boy do all day."

"Eats, sleeps, then returns to his studies or experiments. If he gets frustrated enough, he goes out for a run. Works wonders on him."

"Good. Continue encouraging that. It works both the mind and the body."

"Alright Tarres. Are you certain you don't want to return. The others miss you."

Tarres couldn't really say yes to that. He made a pledge that he'd never set foot upon industrialized land, since it made him feel sick from the spiritual miasma the terrain gave off. For now, he was happy to have pupils such as the three. Another couple years shouldn't matter.

"Well, take care old friend. I'll never forget the times we had in Europa."

Having left, Johannes watched as the three children were giddily getting along. He saw a bright flame in his grandson's eyes, but he seemed different. No longer that crazed look he had when his favorite topics arose. No, it wasn't alarming, but it sure was a shock to see how much self-control he had. When they got home, he allowed the boys to feast on a large arrangement of meals. Having a simple diet of a monk would take it's toll on anyone, such as it was evident with them appearing a bit underfed, but healthy nonetheless.

"Oi,_ nonno_. What do you know about a person named Xetsu Rutabaski?"


	10. Chapter 10

_Warning: Chapter contains Gore and Violence. An in-story indication will be present in the story where the content gets brutal. Read at your own risk. _

**Chapter 10**

**Treasure Hunt**

* * *

Eternal silence seemed to resonate as the party feasting took notice of the uneasiness Johannes Rutabaski had. Perhaps what Taritsu had asked was too soon, or that the individual of that name was someone deplored. Catalina, however, did her best to remind her husband that it would have been brought up regardless. Swallowing his bitter feelings, he began to tell of the family legacy.

"This will take a while, so if you don't want to learn about it through an entire night, forget having asked."

"I'm good, _nonno_. Will all the details be necessary though?" He asked because oral accounts of history tend to corrupt the original information.

A curt nod asserted that he would cut out the non-essentials and give the simplest of explanations. "Have you ever wondered, why the name_ Rutabaski_, seems out of place with Kairne's traditional family name?"

"Well, as far as _padre_ told me, it means _friendly wolf_." Apparently that was the best acceptance of their surname's meaning, but there was more to it obviously.

"Although that is technically correct, it is a simplification of the origin. Originally, _Rutabaski_ was the name the Pyrastrenes called the warrior Firanze, who later became the first emperor who ruled over all tribes of the continent. It would translate into many meanings later on, such ones including "Of the wolves" and "Route of the Basques". The latter meaning seemed quite logical, since he had a transcontinental journey, forming many alliances with the indigenous tribes. However, the name comes from _rută _and _b_ă_sk_; both alone mean separate words that make little sense, since the first literally translates to "route" and the last "forester". However, if what my memory serves me, the two together reads entirely as "path of radiance". Remember how you wanted to find out _Hagio-sendo_? Well... Firanze was technically the first of the land-dwellers to have control over _Haggio-sendo_, and due to that, he was able to incarcerate the Euric Devils."

"What are those?" He heard the term before when his grandmother was still regaining consciousness, but he never thought much of it since it seemed like religious banters, until now.

"The Euric Devils... they are demons of the night. They preferably stay away from the sun, their greatest weakness, and really haven't preyed on weaker species unless they feel starvation. Usually, that means having a meal once a month, as their entire body assimilates organic matter entirely. It also meant that they would naturally follow nature's law of trophic conservation: since they were the apex species, they would naturally have a small population, given their highly expanded lifespan. That changed drastically when Motas, a highly intelligent paragon of their kind, saw as they disregarded their imperfection and yearned to overcome the effects of the sun. So he raged genocide against them when he learned of their plot to remove him. Afterwards, he devised technology that would temporarily grant them safety when exposed to the sun's rays, but it wasn't enough for Motas."

"What he wanted was the stone of Zahrah." Catalina picked up the story from there, showing them the gem around her neck. "Motas wouldn't find a pure crystal stone with the properties of this little gem until a few millennia, when Firanze was around. At that time, he was emperor, and the current guardian of the stone, in place of his outclassed wife, Zahrah."

"They didn't know how _Hagio-sendo_ worked, nor did they know how the stone would augment the energy, so the best Firanze could do was force them to hibernate in pillars. Sensing that the task wouldn't be finished in his lifetime, Firanze had passed down his special blade "Terava" until it would come across a descendant born with his fighting spirit- a Rutabaski boy named Xetsu. His adventures were not the ones that picked up where his ancestor left off, but of another. Being the child of the sky and land, he was destined to unite the two and rid the world of the corruption known as "Demise", along with forging the blade into its completed form. Since then, Kairne regarded Xetsu as their holy savior, and made him leader as he had The Great Mother's blessing as her champion- thus augmenting _Hagio-sendo_ in his lineage and instructing a certain ritual would pass between the former leader and the successor."

"Centuries passed since, and with the ritual, Firanze's fighting spirit lived on, allowing a rare few who were born with the necessary potential the right to wield that legendary blade. Within a few centuries, all was right with the world, until a civil war spanning across the globe destroyed all known technology and they had to recover 600 years of progress. Eventually, the blade came to use once more, during _The Great War_, by your great-great-grandfather Tarique. Not much was known of why he needed the blade, other than an evil from Xetsu's time, travelled to our world in search of his powerful spirit. Ultimately, the war ended with global floods and Tarique was last seen with _Princessa Sefarina de Castilla_, detaining that evil whilst the others rushed to safety from the floods. The blade had been lost since."

Taritsu and the others were enthralled, and found disappointment when the climax of the tale was averted with the blade gone. '_Something else had developed, there's got to be._'

"So when did the Euric devils come back to relevancy?" Vejita casually asked. It seemed pointless to him that there was emphasis on an ancestral that was lost.

"I was getting to that."

"Oh honey, may I tell them this part?" Catalina asked out of kindness, knowing how it referred to their quest. A mutual nod indicated that she may proceed.

"Well... in the late 1960s, Jojo and I were separated for some time; he was taking alternative schooling, whereas I, being from a female lineage of Hadou warriors that guarded the stone, practiced the art until mastery. Eventually, six years had gone by and Jojo returned to Kairne after learning from a general of Grunde Schützen that "pillar men" had been discovered throughout several locations of the planet. They tasked him with learning a method to defeat these ancient evils and eventually found himself learning from my mother. However, the Euric devils awakened from their hibernation earlier than anticipated due to the presence of Firanze's spirit and Zahrah's stone reacting. Had it not been for Jojo's guile and gambits, they would have had the stone and transcend into Ultimate Life Forms. Fortunately, Jojo managed to strike a bet; within two months, he was to master Hadou, and what I mastered in six years, he managed in six weeks."

"Yeah, but why wouldn't I be motivated. They practically placed wedding rings of death inside my body. The only one I would accept is yours, Lina."

They playfully pushed the other's shoulders; Catalina never did like the black humor of that joke, even if it was a real threat to his life. If only he wasn't such a lazy bum, then maybe he could properly understand responsibility. Yet, she did recall calling him out for being so morbid when they were younger, so he was just being on the other side of the spectrum. She gave him a frustrated look that stated that he'd pay for that intentional nuisance later, calming the 55 year old from popping any more of the dark humor.

"...getting back to the story. Jojo and a small group of Hadou warriors- including myself- battled the "pillar men" and had eradicated all but one- Motas. He was a cunning one, with his motivations still unknown, though personality wise he had this deep hatred for our species. It took a great deal of...sacrifices, but eventually, Jojo was able to utilize his Hadou with the stone, thanks to some help with our friend and Taro-san- what I called your maternal grandfather by. Eventually, Jojo atomized the monster after realizing his life-long goal. We suffered a lot since then, with friends having passed, but Jojo and I were able to conceive a child. Eventually, that child conceived you, and that's where the current history abruptly ends."

A while passed before Taritsu spoke again. He was busy thinking whether this was even plausible, but seeing as the last 10 months he was learning energy manipulation, he was quite interested what else his family had to give. Perhaps they may have left clues or something; the past sure did leave lots of mysteries, especially such a mystery that revolved around Xetsu. If the family's main problems started from as early as Firanze, then why was Xetsu regarded as the greatest?

Johannes merely chuckled and told him that tomorrow they'd go in search of what Xetsu left behind. For one thousand years, the man would have to anticipated a whole variety of possible fires, earthquakes, and storms. When Taritsu awoke, he met someone next to him in bed. Since it was late by the time the kids finished their meals, and since their parents had AN meetings early the next morning, the other two spent the night. Taritsu himself remembered having difficulty sleeping, so he went off for a quick run, which led to an unexpected encounter with a small criminal gang. Ensuring that no one could distinguished his identity, and that he wouldn't endanger the criminal with anything more than a few bruises that knocked them out, he tied them up and returned to his room.

It was now that he remembered that he had found Kakarotto is his room, wishing to discuss a few things, but they grew tired before they could confirm any social outings. Now he saw the sleeping form of Kakarotto, and his hair was undone. In fact, it was so undone, that he could have mistaken him for a female. Not wanting to wake the boy up, he quietly left his bed and went out to find his grandfather.

"_Buon giorno, nonno_! Are we looking for _antenato_ Xetsu's heirlooms?" He asked with grand respect for the old _padrone_. Obviously, what Taritsu wished to find was the diary Xetsu intended for him, so he needed the guidance of an experienced Rutabaski who knew the place like the back of his hand. Nodding curtly, Johannes had his grandson follow as they traveled down the hall, stopping before a locked door. Releasing the padlocks, he swung it open to allow the musky air ventilate, having not been exposed to the outside world in practically a century. The only reason he knew that this existed was thanks to Valeria.

"It's all burned. Who vandalized the place?" He said, noting the broken statue in the middle of the room and the flight of stairs that used to exist. Johannes causally began his breathing exercises, building up the energy needed to move the 2 tonne statue with the little Hadou he could manipulate. Whether or not Johannes Greil was the powerful one of his family was subjective; he was the most versatile, with a collective 98 victory streak to none in his youth: one of them being a collaborate victory that subtly changed the world. Of course, Taritsu did compare the old man and his father, seeing as they were the male role models he was most familiar with at the moment, wondering if it were true that due to his father's enhanced condition that he could complete near impossible feats.

For one, he knew that his grandfather was incredibly powerful, even at old age, as he could keep up with his speeds when playfully sparring. If he wanted to, Johannes would go even faster, as he had with his son Sedrick to demonstrate a couple techniques once. Combat speed was something Johannes would top them both at, but raw strength was trickier to define among them. An example would be the time Sedrick had stopped his son from crashing into a red pine during a training accident by kicking it down at a speeds requiring the force of **21,221.5906** **Newtons **by the sheer force alone, ranking him just on par with his own father (if not higher). '_Maybe all my family on the paternal side are super soldiers..._'

Finally done moving the object, a hidden cellar door became visible with a few scrapes to the tile floor.

"Decades ago, Valeria was victim to an assassination attempt via slow-acting poison. Her brother- Tarique- went off to find a cure, and returned with the treatments. Thankfully, Tarique managed to gain a street friend in his small quest, so they were able to figure out that an imposter posed as a close relative in order to get to Tarique. Eventually, the true relative appeared and they were able to arrest that fiend. Fate had other plans though, and that fiend's hatred led to him rejecting his humanity. In the scuffle that ensued after, my grandfather had to burn the old building down to take out that fiend. That was the start of his bizarre adventure." Johannes stated as he remembered all the details Valeria was able to tell. After all these years, that day still traumatized her since she had lost her father years ago, her mother the same day, and almost as well her brother who survived the bombing accident that took their father's life. Their family had a weird tendency to attract tragedy that made him question if they were cursed.

Moving along, the two made it through the catacomb tunnels, eventually making it to a semi-constructed miniature altar. On it laid a locked chest, and since the centuries must have rusted the lock, Johannes took his chances and forcibly opened it. Flipping upwards, the chest fell and a well preserved diary slid across the floor, along with a small map and letter. Looking at the contents of the map, Taritsu concluded that it may have had the locations of the tools his ancestor spoke of. "Oi, _Mauricio_. What do you have there?"

Handing his grandfather the map and letter, he happily opened the book and began to read a passage in silence. A few moments later, Johannes made a startling noise. "Why, this here is a map to a treasure hunt. It spans the entire continent!"

Xetsu was a wise ancestor indeed, ensuring that whoever managed to get his maps could not take the tools he scattered around the land with ease. It would discourage any children from leading such a quest, but Johannes knew his grandson was different. In his now cold, calculative eyes, he could see the passion which one had stepping up to a challenge. If he could, he would have bet all his earnings that the kid would utilize his running speed to run across the continent. However, that would be a minor inconvenience; the nearest heirloom was 400 kilometers from here and a kid on his own would run the risk of encountering trouble. "_Dire_, you should invite your friends to join you in this hunt. I'll get Vasilis to chaperon you three. Inform them and once Vasilis arrives, you may head out, understand."

He nodded, just a few seconds before his stomach rumbled. Neither of them noticed that they spent more than an hour down here, so by the time they got back it was nearing noon. Greeting his grandmother and his siblings while they ate, he left with the contents they unearthed and sped onwards with a spring in his steps as he went off to inform the two males. Vejita's room was already organized, so he probably went off to practice his routines. '_Maybe Kakarotto's still sleeping. He is a heavy sleeper from what I can tell._'

No one greeted him when he opened the door, so he concluded that maybe Kakarotto probably went off to his room and gather his belongings. Without a second thought, he entered the room as he began to inform his friend what the plan was. In front of him was a female, drying her hair and wearing Kakarotto's clothing, suspiciously bearing resemblance to his friend. Neither of them spoke a word to the other, but fear instantly took over the girl as she backed up, falling on the bed as she dropped the towel on the floor. '_It_ _couldn't be; Kakarotto is a guy. It's got to be an actress or something; maybe nonna is behind this. Or maybe...this is just a guest Kakarotto took pity on and let her borrow his clothes. Yeah, that seems logical._'

Except it wasn't. If a girl were in need of clothing, the servants would had given the individual proper attire. They would have also informed his grandfather that such a person was within the building, and his grandmother would have referred to it earlier. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to wish it was all just a bad dream. "No. No, no, no. This isn't possible. My best friend is a male, I'm sure of it."

"_Exactly._" Said another from beside him. It was none other than Kakarotto, who somehow snuck inside silently and had this salamander orange getup. He seemed ready for sparring, obviously sporting a wide grin that unmistakably indicated he was the real deal. Suddenly he dropped the casual grin and proceeded to explain the situation. First, he had to know if his friend was ready to assess the truth. "Can you keep a secret, Taritsu?"

He nodded abruptly, never saying much more than a simple yes. Satisfied, Kakarotto assessed for the best answer he could provide. "The truth is...I've kinda...died a long time ago." He sheepishly stated, prompting the shocked Taritsu to gain his bearings. Instantly, a scowl formed as he felt betrayed by the two. Charlotte saw the sudden mood change and curled up in fear of being attacked, but Kakarotto knew that such possibility was low.

"Since when. Since when have you been impersonating him?" His voice was sharp as blades now, calling for Kakarotto to explain thoroughly what happened.

Charlotte, however, spoke up sooner than Kakarotto could. "To be honest." She looked him straight in the eyes, not worried on what he could do since: a) he was the friend of her brother, and he would never try anything irrationally harmful; b) Taritsu greatly valued honesty over intellectuals if they did not stand on his level of thinking, or in this case, he would value her honesty because the reasoning was from someone he respected—like her father. "I've always wanted you to know. Ever since I could remember, _Père_ had told me that I should never reveal my gender to anyone. Your mother and father knows; especially your grandfathers, but for the most part, he swore that it was best for me to crossdress. He didn't think you would mind being in the dark about this, and both our parents were frightened on how you'd react when you discovered Kakarotto died."

"But I do control my sister at times when I can. So our relationship...we're still friends, thanks to my sister allowing me to interact with everyone else."

"I see." Taritsu eyed the girl. His eyes went towards the door, wondering how in the world she had forgotten to lock it so that it wouldn't end up in a worse situation. '_Wait. She said she wanted me to know. And Kakarotto said that he could interact fairly enough when he wanted._' He wanted to confirm what that meant actually, and for what reasons. "So what you meant by the phrase, did you mean you wanted me to understand that this is your body?" At hearing the words come out of his mouth, Taritsu immediately regretted his phrasing, as Charlotte figuratively burned up from embarrassment.

There had to be an icebreaker that could reset the mood. "Just tell me then. How is Kakarotto still with us, when you claimed he died. He shouldn't be able to do anything either of you claim. It's not scientifically possible to explain."

"Well, when mother gave birth to her third child, my health was pretty devastated by a genetic illness. Father couldn't do much for me, and his grief was obvious when he watched me in pain. I tried to be strong, but one day I had fallen asleep and didn't wake up until a day passed. Eventually I awoke again, and found my spirit bounded to my little sister." He said with gratitude for his sister. They appreciated each other and Kakarotto didn't wish any harm towards his dear sibling. "Her name is Charlotte."

"Char...lotte? _Sharurotto_?!" His mind had a subconscious awakening, which Kakarotto noticed in awe. Having been inside his mind before, he was able to understand a certain security safeguard that would arise whenever a traumatic event would affect him- which would endanger everyone in the immediate area of the hidden personality that lurked within. This, he found out was not created or a branch of the boy's original personality, but rather a preexisting one that happened to cohabit with him since birth. That personality that had been sealed along with his maximum power, he dubbed _Taritzu_, and it was more aware of the every day happenings than Taritsu himself knew. It was as if the safeguard personality was the aspect that grew weary as the main personality had its innocence stripped. However, Taritzu had advised him to not possess him again, else risk getting swallowed into the abyss in his mind.

As such, when the two switched, Taritsu would blackout for the moment and never realize what occurred. Now it seemed he was able to recall memories from those blackout periods, although most remained restricted.

Charlotte slowly eyed him, frightened that he intended harming her. Her eyes widened once she saw him getting on the bed and kneeled in front of her. Taritsu seemed as if he were reminiscing a memory, gently coaxing the girl as a parent would do for an infant. Without a second thought she closed her eyes, letting his touch slowly relax her, only to feel a smooth sensation as his tail wrapping around her tails subconsciously. The boy's eyes merely widened at that realization, yet he continued to whisper calmly, cherishing the moment.

"...you sure do surprise me ever so often. First I believe you're my old friend, but it turns out you're his little sister. Now I see that you not only have two tails, but they're fluffy and formed like the bristles of a foxtail plant." She could hardly believe what she heard, but seeing his eyes, he seemed enthralled. There was also a hint of nostalgia as he looked into hers; could it possibly be that the same relaxing technique was done to him? "Makes me wonder though: _Why two tails?_"

Neither she nor her father knew why, but after years of hiding the second tail to pass as a boy, Charlotte never questioned the reason as to why since she thought it was god's way of providing a means to aid her cross-dressing. Now she found a strange pleasure having Taritsu caress them, but she still had an overwhelming fear that instinctively called for her brother to take over briefly and kick him off. Seeing him clutching his gut, she gasped. "I didn't meant for that to happen!"

"N-No, it's okay. I guess I was too forward. Touching another's tail is a personal issue; you probably don't trust anyone to touch you like that." He made a sign on his chest. "This is my promise to you that from now on, I shall make you understand that I am trustworthy." He gave her a friendly smile, reminiscing of her brothers but still serious as he fully intended to make a genuine relationship exist from this strange encounter. '_He's accepted me despite tricking him. I feel...happy._'

"Oi, Sharurotto. I almost forgot. I came to tell you we're going on a treasure hunt."

She softly giggled as she considered teasing him in the main Boruvian language, but ended up mumbling it from the expectant looks he was giving her. "..._Taritsu no ecchi.._... Of course. I'll go."

* * *

In Jakarta's forest, the two sisters hid well from their caretaker. It was a game they enjoyed very much, and not many could enter the forest since public access was sealed off. That being said, the two sisters, Karalynne and Camila, decided they should head back. However, Camila heard someone in the distance. "Should we run back, or..."

"No. We aren't supposed to. Wildlife still runs amok, so that'd just alert predators."

The ones in the distance were none other than Taritsu and the others. Their hunt for the heirlooms resulted in finding gold plated old boots, a whip with shining blue crystals, some kind of leaf-blower device, and a strange cannon device. None of them could see the value in these tools, but Taritsu had faith that the final tool would be worth the hassle.

"Hey, Vejita. Let's split up and search. We'll cover more that way."

He agreed, but only if he reconsidered how they would divide. "I say Kakarotto sticks with you. He's able to see an obtuse angle of view, so the danger you might encounter will allow you to respond. Oh, and I call dibs on whatever you find."

"That hardly seems fair. First to find it gets to do what they want with it."

Separating in groups, Vasilis stayed in place since he needed to be sure what direction the kids would take. Besides, there was something suspicious in these woods; the security feed he tapped into indicated someone had entered illegally, so he had to assess whether or not they also compromised the lives of anyone in the forest. After all, wolves lived on the reserve at the edge of the isolated area.

Travelling several yards into the forest, Taritsu made sure to walk in a reasonable pace that allowed Charlotte to stick nearby. However, the more he walked closer to her, the more she seemed to fidget as she had in recent times. '_I've noticed her doing that when we had been training. Is there something wrong, or is this just a female's way of indicating_' Taritsu caught himself staring at the girl for too long that he apologized, knowing that Charlotte may have been crept out. This made her fluster.

Mustering her silent conviction, Charlotte tried to say something, but she could only ramble off as she continued her sentence. The most Taritsu could hear was something along the lines of, "_Is there any value to that_..." but even with his incredible hearing, he could barely make out what she wanted to say. He stopped walking to let her know he wanted to converse in the natural way they had been doing, but it was weird since Charlotte was used to standing in an angle and looking around like males would, not the typical eye contact necessary for the females.

Blushing, she asked again in a formal manner. "The pendant you have, is there any value to it?"

Momentarily, Taritsu rubbed the tip of his nose and gave her a side smirk. "Course there is; why wouldn't there be?"

It wasn't the answer she wanted, but at least there was something. Again, she asked in another manner, this time under the guise of why it mattered.

"Well, it's kinda part of a promise I made."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, I made a promise when I was little. As a kid, I made this friend while learning how to use a sword, we had so much fun during the summer, but I didn't want to forget my friend and neither did she."

It made her heart pause when she heard it. Charlotte had no idea why she should have felt like that; having seen the Taritsu's pendant before, and Stephanie's similar one didn't have much of an impact knowing that they existed. However, knowing that there was a possibility...seemed to tell her a new story. Apparently her mind spaced out when she heard Taritsu finish his last question, so not wanting to cause alarm, she responded to the best of her ability. "I saw a girl with the same kind of jewelry as yours. It was silver and had this massive amount of triangular shapes, almost like there was a sea of—"

"Souls?" Taritsu's response surprised her. "and the whole design; is it more like a moon, isn't it?" Finally she seemed to understand that he knew what she was talking about.

"Y-yes! ...how did you know?"

"_Sharu_, mine looks like a sun... well, the outer part of it anyway. I think there's something inside, but I'm not sure what."

Charlotte looked away from him, not wanting to speak. Her morbid silence brought the unaware boy to notice the change in mood immediately. Asking her what was wrong, she denied her problem. '_How can he help me if I can't even tell what this ache is?_' "I'll race you to the treasure!" She faked gleefully.

Taritsu had barely realized that the girl took off ahead of him in speeds nearly rivaling his own, but that didn't stop him from catching up. Having done so, they fumbled in their footing and began rolling on the floor as the younger inexperienced runner had looked back at him. Doing his best to make sure she wasn't hurt, Taritsu banged his head—HARD. Rubbing it softly, Charlotte momentarily looked under the tree roots Taritsu had knocked his head into. Apparently the impact force was strong enough to move the roots. Underneath it, she caught a glimpse of the familiar design they found on all the other chests.

"Found it!" She pulled it out, tumbling backwards until she felt someone catch her. "Oh, thanks for saving me again, Tarit-su"

He was still rubbing his head, while Charlotte felt levels of fear that she had never done so in her life. "Oi, _Sharu_, I think that last bump made me disoriented." He looked up to see her and the other person. "Why are there two of you? Don't tell me, Kakarotto happened to come out again, didn't he."

"Get him!" Boomed the commanding voice of a 14 year old. Out came four boys, who each landed blows on his face, shoulders, practically everywhere that ensured him not moving away. While they did so, the fifth behind Charlotte grabbed her by the mouth and laid a knife by her cheek, running it along as he spoke wicked thoughts. Not until a sixth boy came out did he release that knife and punched her in the gut, making her drop to her knees and hot tears run.

"Serves you right, Kakarotto. That's what your actions done to me." He pulled her by the tuffs of hair on her forehead and brought her up to his level. Looking closely, he thought she was a pretty boy due to her complexion and cross dressing. Jeering, he threw her on the ground and ordered to the other four to continue busting Taritsu into a pulp.

"You know Kakarotto. If you were a female, I'd have my revenge in a more... extravagant way. And thanks to what that fool stated, I believe that opportunity will arise, so long as this gets done quick and far away from here. My little sister would never forgive me for harming a female, so... I guess the next best way for now would be to break that innocent perception of yours. Just look at them right now; the other's seem to have their share of fun." He remarked on how they ganged up on the loathed prince. Had it not been for his birth, his father wouldn't have been cast out 12 years ago. And if he wasn't exiled, he would have never planned to siege the AN council in a political prisoner gambit and tried to have the boy assassinated.

Due to this failure, Brolli and his sister wouldn't have had to live as orphans on the run. Every town they entered, someone learned of their family and tried to turn them in. Brolli was driven to the breaking point when his beloved sister, Paula, was associated in the same regards as that loathed prince because they were born the same night. She was different, she was innocent, and she couldn't harm anyone. His sister was delicate, but life on the streets were rough.

Charlotte took a few seconds to realize that she knew who this lunatic was. "Let him Go! Tell them to let him go, Brolli!" Her friend was badly hurt, likely suffering a concussion and his raspy breaths indicated lung damage. Blood began to spew as he choked out a couple words, but the beatings were too much for any response. This defiance from her only served to make the other boy pin her down and place the knife near her throat.

"SHUT UP YOU STUPID WHORE!" Brolli kicked her once again in the stomach, rewarding them with her coughed up blood. It was so much pain that Kakarotto had to intervene, but knowing he wasn't allowed to while she was still conscious, had to bare with it and watch as it all played out."I'VE HATED YOU EVER SINCE YOU YAPPED YOUR MOUTH AND RUINED MY FAMILY'S LIFE!"

"You always have things set for you on a silver platter," By then he had roughly pulled Charlotte up by wrapping her tail around her neck. Brolli didn't intend on killing his enemy outright; his wish was to draw out as much pain as he could, starting with the immediate defeat of Taritsu. Signaling for the dagger, the other boy tossed it over for the group and they handled it carefully, as their younger victim still struggled. "Let's see how your friend fares when it's just him against the grim reality." He said as he signaled for the dagger and began to press it against his abdomen. Taritsu immediately had his tail recoil from the painful shock, but could do little to stop them as they started cutting him open.

'_Please, Dieu. Please save him._'

From the moment the boys had finished slashing his skin open, they proceeded to tear under his chest cavity, but not before Brolli told them to hide what they were doing.

"_Fratello_, what are you doing with this poor boy? YOU are CHOKING him!" Paula had a clear resemblance to her older brother, mainly since they boy shared their mother's looks, but she was the only one that inherited her kindness. It was the only thing that made up for her loss of innocence.

"Not now Paula. This is one of those punks that are trying to ruin our lives. He has to be eliminated!" Brolli's justification was on the right track, but Paula always found his methods... disgusting. "Ain't that right guys?"

A sync of affirmative answers rang throughout the area, and Brolli told them to continue as they must. It was then that she noticed what they were had been doing. She gasped. "Brolli. STOP THIS AT ONCE!"

Their clammy hands had ripped through the boy's diaphragm, literally taking his breath away. They continued to dig in, elbows deep, one even puling back as the sensation of his organs and the warm blood was scorching near feverish temperatures. "What the hell? That must have been a good 39 Celsius! You were right; he ain't one of us."

"Shut up man. It's bad enough to have our hands in this freak. _Imprecare!_ There's something slippery and hot in my hand." Said the boy as he held a firm grip on the dying boy. A wicked grin appeared as he resigned to the control that they had over him. Taritsu didn't lie, he felt a cold chill in his body, but never such as the one he felt now. That clammy hand that enveloped his heart sent distress through his mind, accelerating his thoughts. Without the ability to breath, he could not protest as they did what they wanted. Strangely though, it wasn't anger or fear that were the last thoughts in him. '_Maybe I do deserve to die. Father, Mother, Nonno Greil, Nonna Catalina, Ojiisama Daisuke, Aunt Valeria, and my siblings. I'm sorry that I caused you all to experience these worries._' He didn't know this, but tears of remorse were rolling off him.

He felt great sorrow for these boys; he ruined their lives by existing, and yet, forgave them for acting upon their emotions like this. A smile found its way onto his struggling lips, but it disappeared as he saw Charlotte's fear. '_No, I can't give up just yet. Brolli will harm her far worse before killing her too!_'

A snap was heard as they finally ripped out the engine of life. Blood still pumping in their hands, the floor spilled of blood, and the eyes of the once life robust prince started to cloud over. She stifled a cry in her throat, which brought Brolli to let go of an overwhelmed Charlotte and tend his sister who had seen death before. She couldn't accept that it happened. Because Charlotte tried to save him years ago from assassination, she got him killed now. '_He wasn't even able to fight back._' A desperate attempt to call out her name was heard, but much of it was bloody gurgling. Charlotte simply stood, unfazed as she tried to deny the fact that she saw them murder him. Seeing as he was so delicate and vulnerable in that state, a wretched twist in her heart choked her breathing and rational mind.

"Let go of me, Brolli. Oh how I wish you had learned to accept that we have little control of our past." She cried out in between sobs. "Why him? He's merely an innocent boy, no different from you or I. Don't you think he's suffered a similar way? And his family; have they not suffered?" She wiped the blood from Taritsu's face, trembling as she felt the connection in his life essence. Part of the reason she was grouped together with the boy was that she had a sixth sense, one of noticing the essence of another's life and seeing their life's flame. For reasons unknown, his was strong still, almost as if his heart was still working as it should.

"We'll be taking these as payment now." The gang stated as they ripped the bracers off his arms, disrespecting the corpse without shame. Paula immediately grew indignant seeing this but halted. The essence in Taritsu had flared from that act, and his aura felt warmer. You see, the usage of those golden ornaments weren't to enslave his power or restrain them; the very opposite was true: he needed to concentrate it at a set maximum and master it, lest they find themselves having an exponentially powerful being let loose against the world.

Immediately he burst forward, grabbing the heart the other boy had in his hand and placed it back inside. His hair gradually, transitioned from dark to cobalt, but didn't stop there. His nails- became angular, and his cuspids sharpened as his mind was switching to accommodate for survival. One thought only crossed his mind before he went hell bent on destroying them.

"KAKAROTTO!" The name of her brother made him knocked the senses back into the girl. Taritsu took the moment of surprise to truck through the group and tackle Brolli down, straddling the vengeful adolescent, letting the kid thrashed him with all his rage at the surprise retaliation just as Taritsu focused his energy. The crackling of electric blue was fear-inducing, enough to make one die from fright even, but it was not intended for him. As Charlotte figured in that moment, Taritsu's prominent features were transitioning to a more bestial look, but he fought against the transformation by inducing his system with Hadou energy. "GET OUT OF HERE NOW!"

Not a moment was lost when Charlotte bolted with the chest in hand and the other girl as well. She kept running until she tripped on the foot of a waiting gang member who had swiped one of the items from Vejita. The resulting momentum had enough energy to throw the chest across a sturdy tree trunk, cracking it open and releasing a bunch of fabric. '_All this for that! Why?_'

Charlotte crawled forward to get the fabric regardless. It was as if her life depended on that object, and it didn't help with Paula knocked cold.

"Where do you think you're going?" One of the pair snidely remarked as he stepped on her back, restraining her inches from retrieving the heirloom. The other started up the item, which she now recognized as the cannon. Purple energy whirred as it pointed straight at her. "Good-bye Kakarotto,"

'_Sis, use your tails. Him pinning you down may have hindered you to the floor, but you still have enough strength to utilize these twin tails._'

Having only done this instinctively when in glee, Charlotte did her best to spin her tails like a propeller as Kakarotto asked and slid her the few inches needed to quickly grab and throw fabric between her and the energy ball it would have released at her face. That blast never managed to blast through, alarming both parties as they saw the steaming, sizzling air that rose from the fabric. '_This- This must mean he was right. His ancestor did know they'd be useful._'

"Eh? No matter, I'll just blast you once more." He started the cannon once more, the whirring creating an energy ball much faster than at first and smirked as Charlotte did not move. "_COME OOON_. At least try to make this interesting by running away. Or are you frozen because death approaches?"

She didn't freeze because she was overwhelmed. She froze because she saw him. Now with bulked muscles that contrasted his leaned ones, and much longer hair that was reminiscent of a mane, Taritsu raced over on all fours. His colors were very deep yellowish green, wolfish eyes, and that friendly cobalt had been replaced by violent phthalo blue. Blood stained his hands, probably having murdered the six adolescents that had angered him, and he seethed at the sight of this one trying to kill his friend. Without a second to turn around and see what Charlotte's gaze was transfixed on, the boy found his windpipe crushed, finding himself from where he stood to having crashed into a tree trunk. The thick physique of Taritsu wasn't monstrous, or too large for agility as he had sliced through the air claws first into the other for that matter, making him run towards the weapon, only to trip and set it off and end tragically. His height was slightly higher with the muscle mass he grown, but Charlotte figured he was at least 8 inches taller, especially since he was the size of a large tiger.

Satisfied that his victim was out of commission, Taritsu's deathly gaze landed upon Charlotte, but alternated with his vulnerable victims. He could hear the dark thoughts of a primal awakened power within. '_Yes...take them out and break each and every bone._'

'_I can't exactly let that happen. Ignore the call, kid. Keep fighting the transgression._' He mentally agreed with the second thought, further increasing his steady supply of Hadou to keep him at the current state of mind and body. Feeling the random twitches in his tail, Taritsu could have sworn something was up and it obviously had to do with it, but he didn't know whether he could defeat the sudden urge to sate his hunger. Intense fear swelled as his eyes darted and fixed upon Charlottes.

'_No, please don't let him go after me too._' She scooted away, managing to take Paula's unconscious form and wrapped the fabric around them, finding it secure. The wild beast that was her friend trotted over, but seeing as she was scared out of her life, he slowed to a walk. Tears were welling up, and he could hear the silent prayer that she mumbled while she closed her eyes. It made him feel guilty, so he stopped, just inches before her.

'_Thank you, Dieu. Thank you for protecting me._' It was then that she stopped thinking once she opened her eyes. She didn't dare to move, nor did she dare to breath as her friend mutilated his own tail in attempt to regain control- eventually having it removed.

A few tears strayed from her eyes, bringing his attention to them; still quite bestial in form, yet compassionate to her feelings, he waited a few moments without looking away from her frightened eyes. Taritsu knew that Charlotte had injuries, and doing his best to control his diminishing violent anger in that form, he leaned closer, inspecting the girl for any serious harm. She felt a sudden wetness on her wounds as he attended closely towards the area, face near the vital points as he sniffed and treated, repeating the order.

A pleasant surprise, but Charlotte was not yet convinced, until she saw as a tinge of white was seeping the tips of his spiky hair. His transfixed gaze was also amiable, and at peace, not finding the task in any way bothersome. From what she figured, he was calming down, fully engaged in attending his friend's little sister and protecting the two girls from harm. In a few moments, his muscle mass began to significantly decrease, and any of the wounds he had from the shredded abdomen were now healing- albeit slower than how he was in the hominid form. Whether or not the rate of his healing directly correlated with his drastically decreased speed was up to debate, but neither one cared enough to do so right now. The thought that this would all be over let her breath peacefully, but the moment was short lived.

Bullets came flying at them, and Taritsu tensed up in response to attack the perpetrators, only to stay his ground when he saw Charlotte's wavering tears. Understanding that she didn't want him taking more lives, he covered them from gunfire, enduring the damage as his body did its best to heal. Eventually, someone threw a flash grenade, blinding the young boy. He howled soon after, being shot by a tranquilizer dart and soon found darkness envelop his sight.

* * *

"...this advanced requires a tremendous amount of power and if the output demand is pushed..."

Yanagi and Sedrick had been attending the AN council meetings for a special theme. Since the start of the new millennium, Kairne had been asked to distribute servant droids and ship it across the world. Of course, this meant having to oversee that the buyers were legally obtaining the transactions, in that manner they could not violate the terms of engagement the Allied Nations had on artificial intelligence. Part of the contract was that Kairne could not involve units as strong as their top 10% warriors, which left the companies with machines that functioned with far less durable parts so as to be dealt with immediately and require maintenance if they so happened to accidentally get destroyed on the job. However, it seemed quite strange that this—Xavier Light—chose to represent the deals on behalf of his colleagues on a series of AI that were required for heavy construction and field work. It seemed rather suspicious as that would require breaching their nation's contract to meet specifications for that line of work.

"Well, he is the owner of Light Labs; seems natural to want this done officially." Yanagi told her husband who had been looking at his watch. "Even his prototype, Rock, has the entire building process available to the public. Of course, that's just the exoskeleton, but it's impressive for a household unit, Sedrick." Both were in uniform, which- thanks to their youthfulness—looked a lot like teenagers dressing up than responsible adults. Though Yanagi's maturity and formality made up for that fact, Sedrick's was rather—similar to his father's. From what she heard from her father, Sedrick had all of Johanne's looks, but with the colors of his mother—which rather complemented him well next to her as it seemed he was more like a college professor than the son of a King with those suspenders he liked.

"Yeah. Sounds nice." He was busy fiddling with the phone applications rather than putting his full attention on the presentation. From her perspective, she could see him getting a new high score on the snake game, having all his senses inherently set on the ever increasing speed and difficulty of the application. Yanagi just didn't know what to do with her husband at times like these; he didn't find heavy lectures of science interesting, being more concerned with the immediate sciences like mathematics and archaeology, than the heavy theoretical and devout fields that her son studied with relative ease. Sometimes she thought their roles were switched, but she reminded herself that's who he was and it was what attracted her to him.

"Sedrick, you're haven't been listening." She scolded her husband, who more or less deserved it for behaving as he did. At the moment she did, the others turned to see the commotion between the two and Sedrick received the very convenient message he had anticipated. In truth, he was feeling rather uneasy, so he set all his thoughts away and waited for it to fade on its own. The contents of the message only served to resurface that uneasiness.

_Sender: Vasilis Pioneeri_

_Subject: He's not complying._

_ Come to the Jakarta embassy._

"I apologize for the inconvenience, but something's come up and we're needed at the scene. Can we schedule the rest of this for a later date?" Sedrick inquired in his calm and urgent tone. They shook their heads no, while some of the other members stated they understood.

"No, there's really no need to reschedule. What we have seen here will be the grounds for our dealings. Isn't that right, Leonid and Brien?"

The Pyrastrenean and Sagratian both voiced their support, allowing them to leave without second thought. However, what they had been asking under everyone's watchful eyes about these new lines of servant droids were disguised under an innocent question.

"Can the parts be replaced for maintenance with other series? Say construction droids with policing droids, if there ever arises needs to increase power or augment the calibration speed?"

"_...Yes..._"


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Sonikku**

* * *

After the hour long flight, Yanagi was the first to arrive at the tower prison that the Jakartans fortified just for her son. How and why he was in there did not matter. She wanted him out.

"Oh, good. He's been irresponsive. The guards were awry of letting him out, and he's under suspect of the law."

"I don't want to hear about it, Vasil. My son is innocent; his morals are too high standard and even if he were to act in barbarous acts, there should be reasons and circumstances."

"Ma'am, I advise you to step back. This beast has _murdered_ **8** individuals already."

The room tensed at least five levels. Never had she heard that term used to refer her baby. Perhaps some may have spoke ill of him behind their backs, but never up front. Thankfully, before she acted brashly, Sedrick grabbed her wrists before she slapped the oblivious soldier. He had a grim look in his eyes, but the man still had hope.

"Send word to the officer in charge here. Tell them Sedrick Rutabaski wishes to have a word."

The young soldier left shortly, allowing only the worried adults to assess what Taritsu had done. Inside the cell, they saw him chained to the wall; fortunately it didn't restrain his movement, but from how he was positioned, one could easily mistake what they saw. Taritsu no longer had his bracers, as evident as the hair having a dark ultramarine. Not one of them could see his eyes, since he casted his head, finding the floor interesting. However, his ears perked hearing his parents- the first signs of movement since he had awoken.

"What happened Vasilis?"

"Well. I was with the kids until they decided to split up to end their treasure hunt as soon as possible. Not a single thought crossed our mind if we were ambushed, since the forest grounds are private and I had informed them of our entry. However, it turns out the Tepelny siblings were also inside the forest, seemingly attacked by a starved wolf. They managed to escape, but the soldiers went on in search of the beast... and mistaken the boy for him. Had I not been there to knock him out, there would have been more lives accounted for."

Yanagi could have sworn that she had died when she heard his words. Her son, mistaken for a wild animal? How could anyone in their rational mind make the mistake as grave as that? However, Vasilis assured that Taritsu had been on a short rampage. They only needed a first witness account to hear the evidence.

"Vejita was not there to witness?" They said while looking at the boy attending a small gash on his head. It wasn't seriously life threatening, but he had been out of commission during the entire ordeal.

"No, he was ambushed. They took one of the treasures from him and tried to use it against the other two."

"Who is '_they_'?"

He gulped at the cut dry retort. Sedrick only behaved this serious when he needed to, and only then did he reserve it for the most grave of situations. He remembered their twisted expressions, having suffered non-fatal blows but had died unintentionally of shock. From what he regarded seeing Taritsu battle, he inflicted the most damage, but did well not to kill them outright, despite the animalistic rampage he was in; reminiscent to a father feeling sorrow as he had to punish a disobedient child.

"Baragus left behind a bitter son. He wanted revenge, and so he staged an ambush."

No words could describe what they felt. Yanagi desperately wished her son was left alone from all this malice and hatred, whereas Sedrick could hold no remorse for what his son had to do. If he had felt the need to protect his life and that of his friend, Sedrick could see why. Eight young punks, all facing the same fate for holding it against his innocent son.

"_Mauricio._" He walked towards the cell, holding out his hand in a symbolic manner. "I don't blame you for what happened, but tell me, please. Did you murder them?"

No response.

Sedrick didn't expect his son to be open anytime soon, but the boy had to say something soon before he was convicted. "I'll ask again, son. Did they harm you?"

A few moments passed before he turned his head, facing them. Two bright emeralds gazed at him, not moving nor betraying what he was feeling. That fleshy aftertaste was foul in his mouth, but wasn't from any of those victims. The thought of what he had done to that poor starving animal made his stomach clench, but it was the only method his feral mind considered when he saved those two. Seeing his father's concern, and his mother's wavering irises, he silently clenched his fists, drawing blood with the still angular nails. He needed to calm down soon before responding.

Feeling that it was hopeless, he stood up, startling the adults. They saw the still healing wounds that stretched from his belly and just under his chest cavity. They could only imagine what terrors occurred.

Again, Yanagi tried to muffle a cry, but found herself needing the support of her husband. Neither of them could comprehend what made those boys attack their child other than social stigmatism.

"Mauricio, I need to know. If you had gotten revenge..."

"I-" He paused as his mind began to black out. Cold chills ran through his body, and he was afraid what was happening next, but someone inside his mind was telling him it was alright. '..._you should rest, I'll take it from here._'

"N-no, go ahead. Speak."

"Their feelings. I could feel them. As they had beaten me down, I could feel their motivations, how they were terrified of me, and then relieved to see that I had died before their eyes."

They gasped hearing that phrase. '_They killed him..._'

"But when I came through, a rage took over, telling me I had to get rid of them before they did the same to C-... Kakarotto. I didn't enjoy that experience, because although I didn't kill them, sensing their horror and pain take over... it made me glad." Then the serious persona of him grew quiet, whispering something he found disgusting of his own being. "_There was one thought that did turn up in my mind. 'Serves them right, how petty it is seeing you each try to stop me.' And that thought continued to exclaim gleefully as they failed each time, urging me to allow it and take over._" But he didn't let that become a reality; concern for Charlotte's safety was his main priority so he stuck to the mindset of territorial defense, not indulging on primal rage and explicitly eradicating the other males in exchange of the pain they inflicted, like that thought constantly insisted him to do.

Footsteps could be heard in the empty hallway. Each turned to see the younger Tepelny sister, having snuck out from the medical room to see the prisoner. Having seen him up close when he got rid of that wolf for her and her sister, she wanted to thank him. Now she learned that they had taken him prisoner. Not expecting his parents in the room, she made a lady-like curtsy, and began her account of the story on behalf of his innocence.

"The blood that he had when they found him. It's not from a Eudoran; he saved both my sister and I from a wolf, and perhaps had gotten carried away handling it." Seeing her behave so delicately made Taritsu wonder if this was the same female. She couldn't be the arrogant Camila Tepelny. "But I can assure you. He's no murderer!"

A smile found its way on Taritsu's serious persona, but it was short-lived as Mr. Tepelny and his personal assistant arrived. Audible clapping came from the assistant as what they heard made him see that there was a course of action to take.

"Sounds like he won over your heart, Camila dear."

The girl gasped in disgust at that man's implying words. For a while now, her father was looking for possible suitors to take care of his daughters. None of the boys that they arranged for the engagement caught her eye, nor did she want Karalynne manhandled by a perverted adolescent. Those actions made their father concerned as Camila grew cynical of how people were; they usually held ulterior motives in her eyes.

"N-no. D-don't be silly. This is but mere gratitude. H-he should be grateful for it."

"I believe it only works best when the one thanking the other shows submission. But as always, you have to assert a dominant air." He sighed, "when will you ever gain a husband like that."

Apparently his assistant heard his mumblings. "Oh, but the opportunity is here. We can betroth the boy with your daughter now."

The three were about to protest until he continued with the explanations. "Of course, once word gets out, and your son is known for being the murderer of 8 young boys, _and_ endangering Tepelny's daughters... Let's just say he'd be more than hated."

"You can't do that." a feminine interjection came from behind all of them. It was none other than Paula, who had Charlotte lead her to the cell. She knew that he would need aid, and her intuition was spot on.

"And why not. You are in no position to bargain, beggar girl." The insult bounced off her fairly easily, thanks to the constant abuse she had to go through over the years. The only reason her eyebrows twitched was due to the fact how this condescending fool tried to manipulate the poor boy's parents into an arranged marriage. Only a false claim could silence him now.

"Because I murdered them."

They each responded differently, but the end result was the same. '_I better make this seem plausible now._' "Brolli and his gang had been terrorizing many where ever they go. Only recently had they began crossing the line, and almost had taken your son's life. Had he not survived, who know's what Brolli could had done, but I didn't want to risk it. So...I killed each of them."

'_She's bluffing. I know she wasn't able to when I checked the security tapes._' Vasilis looked at the servant, who's appalled expression shifted into a wicked smile. He had to do something. "Actually no. I believe you hit your head. If I recall correctly, those idiots left the latches open, which allowed the wild animals roam free. It wasn't my intention to abandon them, but the gravity of the situation made me have to. They committed multiple felonies, and by law of the AN council, I'm expected to uphold the law where ever I go- which means rounding the wolves were a must. After all, I had a permit and they had trespassed on your grounds, tried to instigate first degree murder on two separate individuals, and endangered your daughters." He held up a screen, showing a surveillance video on how the boys had left one of the reservation gates open, allowing a pack to enter as well.

It was obvious what might have transpired. Taritsu had enough control to not outright murder them, but he also left them critically vulnerable to the wolves. Some may have survived, but it was unlikely they would awaken soon.

"Well, but the public will not think the same of your son. He is still our pri-"

Finally, the serious persona residing within Taritsu had enough. He could withstand lots of psychological abuse, keep himself level-headed, but when someone as low as that creep tried to manipulate people...let's just say he was more than ready to take the heat. "Shut up you blabbering fool." They all looked at him, awestruck at his first words of confidence.

"Do you really feel it is necessary to betroth the girl to me just to ensure you wouldn't be laid off. Honestly, such disregard of feelings and troubles makes my blood boil, especially knowing that it is for petty things like securement of prestige."

The man was about to yell at him, but hadn't any strength to overcome the piercing glares of the two men, the sub-zero daggers from Yanagi's eyes, and Taritsu's intimidatingly vicious wrath as he knew that there was nothing that man could do. It was so great, that he could have mistaken his look as one of a predator ready to strike.

"That's enough, Cassidy. I do not appreciate what you are trying to do. This couple had almost lost their beloved son, and all you can think about is try them for fools and black mail. None of that helps; it merely adds on to the anxiety. Have you even noticed the mother, who is shaken up from the fact that her son is in this situation? The father is no better; he's on edge and seems ready to strike. This is not how Jakarta founded their principles, Cassidy. We desire peace, and god be damned if I am going to stand by and see you ruin that." He banged his fist against the wall. "Get out of my sight."

Without a word, the fool retreated, followed by an apologizing Ambassador Tepelny and his daughter. None of the other's knew what to do, but Sedrick suggested that they go and see Baddack for whatever advice he may have had for this situation.

"_Mauricio_, can you still wear the bracers?"

Vasilis placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder, reluctantly shaking his head. The bracers had been broken, but there was still a possibility for a minimal amount of functionality.

Sighing, the pestered boy tried to make them feel better of the situation. "_Yare Yare_. I'll try, but it's not the same." He was actually a bit relieved. Since he had gotten the anger out of his system, Taritsu had mysteriously remained calm, even if he was a bit distressed. It had to have been the training he had under Tarres's supervision. '_Or venting out on that loser was a good stress relief session._'

* * *

Arriving at the facilities, Baddack greeting the familiars as they had brought back his daughter. He did a good job not alarming the two parents, having sensed their concern, and an even greater one in avoiding a rude scene that would have arisen if he had given in to his compulsion in embracing his daughter. "And the nature of your visit has to do with the boy? What's wrong?"

They stepped aside, allowing Baddack to see the semi-tinted hair boy who was writing in a notepad. So far he was doing alright, but for the entirety of the trip he was silent. Only when the two females beside him were reluctant to ask him kindly to pay attention did he look up briefly at the middle aged man. Not wanting to waste any moments before the switch happened again, Taritsu returned to writing the little notes, just as Baddack sighed and called him.

"Eh?" His persona changed once again; now the kinder version of him had been given control while the other returned to sleep. In his hand were the notes written in a handwriting he couldn't recognize. It seemed almost like a computerized font, but he disregarded that and read what it stated.

_Don't worry. You called me to help you out for a while. There's nothing here that'll harm you, and everyone's here to check your physical condition.  
If you're wondering who the hell I am... let's just say I've been around since they first placed that inhibitor on you, and I've been listening to your every thoughts and needs. Destroy this when you're done reading._

"Oh, _errr_. Hi _Zio_ Baddack," he said whilst crumbling the note and placing it in his pockets. The referred man grunted at the affectionate term, but replied regardless. Thankfully, that greeting was enough to let him disregard what he was doing.

"Taritsu," he began, eyeing him carefully for any nervous tics. It was part of the lessons he picked up by the one called "Hermit" while he was stranded in the Pyrastrenean Artic mountain range. The reason being was due part of going against his mission orders, not wanting to assassinate that poor aged scientist, and left out in the cold climate until the Hermit brought him into the scientist's abode. "Right now I'm going to set up a full analysis on your health and capabilities." He contacted some of his subordinates, telling them to prepare the equipment.

You see, Baddack's work persisted in environmental sciences, branching from preservation of habitats and active collection of environmental data, to civilian health impacts and ergonomics; Sustainability if you will. That meant they also designed and modified a wide variety of vehicles, which Taresu was in charge of. Said person came over as his uncle called for him, then took the boy inside a white room.

"_Baddack-san_, how long will this take? Extensive testing might make him relapse. I mean, he might feel treated as a... as a."

"_Yanagi-sama_, your son will be alright." He knew what she was about to say, and it didn't settle well with him that she thought like that. Having made a promise to his wife when they were younger, Baddack had vowed that none of his family would be treated less than they deserved. That extended to his friends too, so naturally he had experience working with irrational behaviors that would stem from abuse. "Let's head over to the observation deck."

Through the large, one way window, they could see Taritsu standing in front of several weights, but Taresu walked him past that. They had to take measurements first.

"How old are you again,_ fratellino_?" He was a bit confused by the readings. They weren't much to cause concern, but it didn't seem normal.

"Twelve." Taritsu then wondered why he needed to know his age if Taresu had kept track of such things. "...didn't you already know that?"

"I do. It's just that your height is 147 centimeters, a tad short than the average. Strangely enough, your weight is fluctuating a bit. Must be the scale busted again." It was actually the urge wanting to be released at the moment trying to accumulate his available energy for the necessary addition of mass, but Taritsu did as he was trained, and focused the_ Hadou_ to coax it to sleep. He then proceeded back to the weights. "Alright. We'll check how much you can lift; this'll confirm you aren't underdeveloped."

He set the weights to an even 40, to which Taritsu lifted with ease, just in front of his chin. That prompted Taresu to gradually increase the weights until he reached the limit on that bar: 250 kilograms.

"Well, your muscle strength obviously is pretty strong. Why don't we-"

"I want to try something heavier." The interjection was unexpected. Nothing was prepared for an individual to lift more than 250 kg, and Taresu was worried that his uncle might say otherwise if he complied to the boy's wishes. Nevertheless, Baddack had asked the two if they would allow that portion of the test to continue, and told them it was allowed through the intercom.

Momentarily, the other workers brought in an average car and a truck, the same ones they used to keep test simulated crashes with. "Now, I would suggest you start off with the smaller one. Lifting the heavier vehicle straight on would just ruin your muscles. And remember not to lift with your...back."

Before him stood the boy who went against his advice. Above his head, he held the densest truck they had available, and the sight of the young boy lifting it up was frightening. Taresu was sure his bones would snap, but Taritsu moved it around like a mere toy, even handling it with one hand.

The sight of the boy playing around made the others begin to speculate what exactly was up. Vasilis and Baddack were busy wondering if this was really okay, while Vejita continued to judge the sight of his younger friend. Of course, he may be the son of Kairne's super-soldier, but there was no explanation to how he could establish such a feat. Looking back between the boy and his parents, he briefly considered if the fact he hadn't been wearing his bracers had a factor.

Putting down the truck, they could see the indentions where his powerful grip had dented, indicating that his strength was above that of his father's. Much higher than the 456 kg of force that Sedrick would apply when he'd crush the firearms of his enemies, Taritsu could do much the same with ease and relatively no training at all that would require most to do so their entire lives, but Vejita wasn't as discouraged as they thought of the poor boy when they looked between the prodigy and him.

"Of course. Seems like we'll check his endurance."

"Do it at the same time as we test his speed. That should easily draw out his energy; he's learned to conserved it so it may take a while to measure it via orthodox methods."

* * *

"Alright,_ fratellino_. Place these on you." They were heart and breathing monitors, and Taritsu placed them on as he watched another supervisor walk over where they were currently located at. It was none other than his old friend, Weissman Wyle, and he seemed rather well acquainted with the fellow workers as he passed them travelling towards the lake bank.

"Dr. Weissman, how's it been?" He asked enthusiastic at the man's recent fortune of a well-respected position within the field of work. Since these tests were largely based on biophysics, he asked if they would allow him to monitor as well. "And congrats on your article by the way."

"Thank you Taritsu, it's very nice to hear. And I do say your recommendation has done wonders for my career." He replied, while asking Taresu for the measurements of the previous test. His eyes widened hearing the amount of weight the boy had lifted. "Seven-_SEVEN TONNES_!" It wasn't even possible for most people to move it on neutral individually, but Taritsu had done the impossible with one hand. Since it weighed roughly 3.5 tonnes, a safe estimate would approximate the boy's lifting strength plus or minus seven tonnes. Recomposing himself, Weissman initiated the second test.

"From what I'm told, in your younger years you were capable of running at 65 kilometers. That nearly tripled three years later to 170 km; we'll start by having you run in place until you reach speeds at a constant 150 kilometers. From there we'll see if you want to go further."

As stated, the boy gradually sped up in place, who managed without breaking a sweat. His heart rate was normal, and there was no change in breathing, so Weissman was given the cue to allow Taritsu his choice. "If you raise your speed, I believe that you should be able to run faster, but I must warn you that it's not recommended to apply such forces over sand banks."

He nodded, then augmented his steps from a slow jog to an accelerating run around the circumference of the lake. Pulling out a radar gun, the rate of speed raised linearly, but as he neared 250 kilometers, the readings indicated he started sprinting. That meant the boy was now moving exponentially fast, so much in fact that the boy was now nearing subsonic speeds, prompting Taresu to rush at the equipment and handed everyone earmuffs. Knowing that he was now transcending the range before speed of sound, the group watched in awe as the preteen ran towards the lake. It was a horrifying experience for Yanagi to see her child run towards it at the last second before he ran into the side of the cliff but Taritsu pushed on strongly in his direction, knowing well what he wanted to do.

"How is he still going? That must be mach speed he's running at!"

"It's still rising." Baddack couldn't believe it; only one person he knew could make it at such speeds, and that man was deceased by now. Perhaps it was safe to say that they were related, but the Hermit denied any relations with the outside world, stating that they _'...don't understand the severity of their actions towards the world, and those who are aware do little to change_'. They watched in awe as the boy began running at what his body would allow, and soon learned exactly what Taritsu was applying in his run.

BOOOOOOOM

The resulting sonic boom cracked the cliff wall, throwing debris and dangerous pebbles around the area. Water from the lake rose in waves and splashed by the force, but Taritsu could only perceive it all in slow motion. '_Woah. Water droplets can't move this slow. Something's wrong._' Looking around, the group far from where he was standing idly in his opinion as the trajectory of the pebbles would put them in danger. Acting fast, he ran across the side of the cliff towards where they were and collected them in motion, then dropped them in a pile; his hands were a bit bruised, but thanks to the speeds he was going, his body had reacted in response- as if it never happened.

Now soaked, the group stood speechless, observing their static crackling acquaintance from the recent movements that had generated the energy that allowed for wall running. Attending the heart rate monitor, he slowly turned it off, only to have it malfunction once doing so from the built up static which had protected him. Sheepishly, he nervously smiled and laughed.

"Guess I over did things, huh?" His shoes were burned out and tattered, though he didn't feel a bit uncomfortable. This caused Vejita to face palm at his modest idiocy for having nothing more to say than a moron's line.

Relief allowed them to breath peacefully again, and they mutually agreed that a break was in order.

* * *

Now having done the physical limitations, Baddack set up the software program for his mental examinations. All seemed to go in perfect order, so it was uneventful for the most part. He made a mental note that they needed sneakers for the boy so that they wouldn't be destroyed when running at high speeds, but he wished to see if the boy could utilize his bioelectric field to protect the footwear himself. _The Hermit_ could do it, so it must be reasonable that Taritsu would have to learn as well.

During this, Paula was busy finding a new pair of shoes for the boy as well, which made Yanagi pleased to see her consideration. Yet, she could not bear knowing that the girl was an orphan. There had to be something for that girl she could do. "Sedrick, would you mind if we adopt her? At the very least offer her sanction in our home?"

"Are you really going to ask when it's pretty obvious by now? The better question is, would she want to accept your offer?"

Her mind set, Yanagi approached the young girl and began in a motherly tone. In all aspects, Paula could easily seem like a long loss daughter to the young mother, sharing her values and motivations. One key factor had her attention though: her eerie calmness. Sedrick had made gestures that indicated to her that she was bordering insulting issues, and each time she retracted her sentence with an apology, Paula simply let it be as a common mistake. It made one wonder exactly how a person could be this strong, especially when they live with someone who blames all their misfortunes on another similar to yourself.

"My mother would have wanted me to live like this," was her answer. Apparently when knowledge came out that she was also born on the night of April 18th, Baragus wanted nothing connecting his family to such an ire. His wife held different views, believing that it was how the child would be raised than how their nature developed them. That resulted in him disowning his wife and daughter, to which Brolli was also taken when the elders heard of his cruel behavior. Six years later, her mother died trying to make a suitable living for her children, and naturally, Brolli blamed it on the loathed prince. Their father returned to raise the two, and became an alcoholic, ordering that "the good for nothing brats" bring him his liquor. Neither male really cared much for Paula, but Brolli was still sensitive enough when it came to his mother; enough so that when Paula was insulted by their father for sharing her idealism, Brolli had enough and let the man to die in a ditch.

"And ever since we had to be on the run." Paula finished without remorse. It was a heart wrenching story, but Paula had strength. It was almost as if she were a patron saint, but such titles weren't appreciated by the young girl. Instead, Yanagi voiced her offer to the orphan, and received an gentle decline.

"Oh no. I wouldn't wish to impose your family. If I were to join you, it'd bring shame upon you on my part for being the daughter of the man who tried to stage a coup."

"Nonsense. This is my offer to you." She leaned closer to the girl and whispered her deepest concerns. "_Besides, think of it as a favor from me. I will need someone to look after my son out in public. He has this tendency to run off and play hero, and he doesn't think I've known for some time now. This way, you could repent for your family, if that is the reason you deny._"

"You are very kind, _Madonna _Rutabaski." She bowed. Tears were streaming of happiness now that she found a place to belong. "I will not disappoint you."

"I'm sure you will not, my dear."

"Oi- Vasilis. You studied neural sciences for a while haven't you?" Baddack called out, having found a single unknown variable in the readings. For the most part, the tests were over, and they found that Taritsu had no fatigue, no muscle or skeletal stress, and was perfectly normal psychologically. Every detail was fine, except for one factor.

"That looks like a schism in memory." They were currently studying how Taritsu's mind had been over the day, which called for concern since they were not aware of any disorders he might have had. "Strange though, he's perfectly normal. Not an ounce of stress seems to take much from his system, nor does it cumulate." He took another look at the boy, currently with Baddack's youngest, fiddling with the treasures they found and figuring how to utilize them. Only one of the items were stored in the vaults, so the rest were safe for the boy to take. "I'd run another test in a week. Maybe it's just an error."

"Yeah, yeah." His eyes met with Taritsu's, who had overheard their conversation. Getting up, he protested that it'd be better to diagnose Charlotte as well since she must have a heavily strained mind from the ordeal earlier. No one seemed to see his eyes widen hearing his daughter's name, and before he could ask, Taritsu had already answered.

"_I wouldn't want her to suffer in my place._"

* * *

Several months went by after the tests, and Taritsu had managed to convince Baddack for use of an empty workshop for his experiments. Baddack didn't have to forge any paperwork as he soon discovered the boy was recommended at his university for post graduate research and acquired doctorates spanning the life sciences, along with a PhD in history for added measure. Currently that would translate as any anthropology discoveries, but now it was just him reading what Xetsu had in his entries, learning of his tragedy and ordeals. A great deal of misfit pranks were listed as ones he played on "Malik" and several entries stating how he was fortunate being friends with Kara. Yet those weren't the entries he valued the most.

_Rotto's been out searching for her again. His old love, whom he had to leave behind on that day they betrayed his family. The other day, he came back scathed; Malik wrote it off as a rough mission, but I know he's been looking out for her. I think I'd do the same too, if it were me looking out for Kara; Rotto may not realize it, but I'm greatly concerned for his well being. He's the closest I have to a brother... Well, I do have cousins, but I don't have the sort of relationship they have with each other as I do with Rotto. Maybe one day, we could be one huge family, after De Lupo denounces the Templers._

Other entries were similar. They had short descriptions of what he had done, what he had learned, and what was planned for the day. It seemed that Xetsu had recorded a lot of his past, probably afraid that he'd forget. It was quite logical, especially since he was an assassin in training; descriptions of his relationship with Kara enthralled him the most. Taritsu could draw the parallels between them and himself with Charlotte. If Cheisu was anything like Rotto, then Charlotte was Kara, but the entries after conflicted with that.

_Rosalina and I have been in charge of the stables today. Apparently Malik thought it'd be great to leave the task all up to me, but his sister aided me under his nose. Hah! Take that you prideful veteran. A "novice" has the attention of your dear, sweet sister. Wait...now that does make me wonder if Rosalina was needed elsewhere. Kara's words later that evening suggested she was, but Rosalina denied those plans when I asked her upfront. Lately I have noticed this ever growing trend with her. I better keep my eye on her._

"What is that you're reading, Taritsu?"

He flustered in his seat, managing to avoid his surprise guest from reading the sentimental anecdotes he was learning from. Taritsu would never act this way if it were a regular person; in fact, he welcomed the thought of something considering him as a compassionate person, but with Charlotte it was different. A mentor-apprentice relationship was called for if their friendship were to bloom, as it were the case years ago when he believed it was Kakarotto there with him sharing all those experiences. Now he tried to make the girl feel confortable, and that meant keeping the image he had. He was a scientific genius in her eyes! And besides... he didn't exactly want to confront the issue from '01.

"Just some explanations my ancestor left for me. From what he wrote, the clothes are made of natural high-polymer advanced rubber composite fiber, in a sense just like malleable chain mail, only breathable and capable of defending again various forms of attacks. He also stated many other details, like how our families are intertwined, but for the most part, it seems like the majority written in here is life lessons."

He sighed as her face lit up at the mention of their family history. Typical expectation for a boy who has been around a manic pixie girl like her, so his best option was to continue explaining. "I still haven't found the necessary entries for the heirlooms; mostly daily entries are posted, and it's rather jumbled so I can't really skip around and hope to find the right one."

"Oh." Her expression was one of wonder. "Mind if I help you?"

He thought about it, but concluded a second after that it was safe for her to do so. "Sure. Grab a seat."

Minutes into the reading, she began glancing between him and the current entries she was at. He concluded that she may have found the information they were looking for, but it turned out differently.

_Kara told me to stop going after her. Despite us having a child together, she wished for me to find happiness in someone less selfish. Someone who could forgive me and understand my needs and deliver what I need. We may have been friends, and we may have been together for the longest time, but she sensed her best friend Rosalina was most compatible with me. I really don't understand why. We've shared experiences, we've shared grief, and practically were there for the other in our time of need. But she is needed with The Great Mother, and I am needed by our people. If either of us neglect our duties, it would bring imbalance, but I don't wish to give up on my love. She claims there's a loophole, but for now I should give Rosalina a chance. "Afterall," she claims, "I wouldn't mind seeing my best friends raising a family together."_

His head banged the table upon reading that. '_Why me? How can she think this is inherited fate?_' Looking up, he eyed her flushed cheeks. They still looked quite warm, and the shades contrasted beautifully with her bronze hair. Immediately he scolded himself, reminding that it was not right to feel like that, for she was no more than a dear sister to him. They had to continue searching regardless anyhow.

"_Sharurotto_. Please hand me the journal and bring me a pen and paper. I think I may have our first hint."

Having spent two minutes of speed-reading, Taritsu had to skip through many lessons his ancestor had. Most were actually quite useful and were relevant to the modern age, but he couldn't spend his time on those, sadly. For now, he was glad to record the next entries of the heirloom's information. It was a description of the list of treasures Xetsu had used for the entirety of his adventure, and with it they would learn how to properly use the tools.

_Rotto's whip: I had borrowed this from him to journey inside "Boruvia's" aquatic temple. With the sacred flames used to forge Terava in that temple, I modified his whip. For reasons unbeknownst to me, this granted it the ability to extend the chains to unimaginable lengths. I figured it became handy for Rotto's benefit the most, and it should as well to you, my grandchild. I figure the exact lengths might reach up to the sky kingdom in the heavens if Cyrus isn't up to the journey. Regardless, the activation of the whip extending correlates to the user's will, something which Rotto exhibited profoundly when he hunted down Count Breigh when Bejita Pioneeri was abducted._

Taritsu was a bit skeptical of the claim, but went off to try it out regardless. Telling Charlotte to bring the necessary tools, they stopped once arriving at the empty fields.

"Now what?"

"...Charlotte, I'll need you to stay were you are while I do this. I don't want you to have an accident."

She backed down understandingly. Within moments, Taritsu steadied himself for what was to come and voiced the word. With a red glow, the chain whip complied and converted into a brilliant array of silver links. Hands clasped in awe, Charlotte watched as Taritsu raised it skyward and willed it to extend even further than before. The action was immediate and recoiled in his shoulder, causing him to fall back at the sudden force.

"WOOOOA~OOH!" Taritsu closed his eyes as he expected the chains to slam on his face, but he was fortunate enough to have been seen by a certain flame-haired teen.

He grunted in disappointment of the boy's recklessness, wondering how he was ever considered a prodigy with that inductive reasoning approach of his. "What are you two _fools_ doing now? And shouldn't you be working in your field of study? Honesty how is a clown like you the future of our society?"

He scrambled to his feet, patting away the dirt on his pants. For as long as they've known him, Taritsu was a scientific genius, but anything besides his Doctorate in the life sciences was up to debate when it came to claiming intelligence.

For instance, Vejita knew an archive of battle techniques and strategies from his father, along with having observed and counteracted many styles of fighting with his own. At times, one would think _he _was the super genius, but that was mainly street smarts and dedicated hard work on his part. Taritsu on the other hand, barely studied outside his fields of interest, and could only bother with spewing facts in order to make a passing grade, as he had done when it came to government classes when he attended university to get his PhD in the Humanities. In fact, one could argue he would go above and beyond when it came to the sciences if he needed it, but he hardly knew how to operate modern computers or anything the common individual would know.

As for Charlotte...

"And don't make me remind you, Kakarotto. I... Seems like I forgot your line of study." He retracted his harsh criticism modestly. It didn't help the scowl go away when she began to giggle at his uneasiness.

"It's an honest mistake. I'm sure it wouldn't happen again. Now spill." He demanded with the respect of an emperor's expectation. Sometimes they wondered how he was ever the son of a general when he acted like that, but it would be the case since his father actively fought low life scum and would regularly join in as well.

"I'm actually interested in..." she blushed. For a while now, Charlotte was experimenting with engineering projects, having found an interest after graduating from primary school and haven't officially gotten any further education from then on. She hadn't gotten much out of what was provided to her with her family in the company, especially since she didn't find it interesting at first, but the knowledge gain was enough to motivate her learning process and found a perfect choice of study.

"Hmm? Has your thick _Fressine_ accent finally strained your voice. Honestly, it seems like you stress too much on it lately." Fressine was a country founded north of _Chapelure_. Many regarded that place the birthplace of classical romance and it's contributions to culture were outstanding, to say the least. It was also known for having a dark history of violence, with having many revolts and what not over the issue of the bourgeois finding their leader incompetent and found themselves wanting a cultural enlightenment much like Kairne had. As for the reason why Charlotte liked using the accent a lot; her father had originally been from Fressine and found that teaching his daughter the masculine aspect of the accent was easiest to disguise her voice, thanks to him ensuring there was not an ounce of suspicion with the small instances of him using a bit of the accent- from time to time.

Not finding her voice right now, Charlotte waved them to follow suit. They walked until they made it into a small break room where a makeshift TV was set up. She handed the remote to Vejita while Taritsu studied it up close. Obvious hand work was done on that little project, and he noticed its material comprised of soldered paperclips and vacuum tubes, finished with a wood casing.

'_When did she have the time to make this?_'

"You gotta be kidding me Kakarotto; you actually made a functional television? That's got to be the most intelligent thing I've seen from you two—no, anyone I've ever met." His praises brought them to eye him as if he'd grown a second head. Vejita, praising? The thought was almost illogical it would give one headaches wondering if such compliments came from the same person.

"It's nothing special really. I mean, I just followed the specifications needed. I just used what materials were available was all."

"But you innovated the design. These are tricky to make; even the clown here couldn't do anything remotely remarkable to this!"

"Why am I a clown?"

"You are socially inept. Sometimes you go off into tangents, being incredibly idealistic and sparkly; other times you ignore someone, considering them as lazy and arrogant. I may be arrogant to others, but sure as hell do I not consider them lazy; it takes a great deal of training and dedication to catch up with someone like you anyway." Then he went off to show them how much he improved by telling the younger of the two to hit him. Charlotte was reluctant at first, but at his insistence she gave her best attack.

Obviously hiding the fact that his arm went numb from the blunt force, Vejita continued with his explanation. "Besides that *ngh*, you also can't tell when you or another person is being inappropriate, let alone *ugh* knowing what they mean without a context. How many *gaw* times has a woman tried to make her moves on you? Because of this, I *arrgh* realize the simple term of 'dork' doesn't suit well on you." He quickly turned away from their sights to rub his damaged arm, unwilling to show weakness towards the younger teens.

He took a few seconds to comprehend it, finding the ending a bit of a double-edged sword. True, there was a time when the young woman had called him cute and adorable, but he considered that their maternal instinct of affection. Then there was one time a woman invited him to rest at her dorm, which he didn't find the least suspicious about when she was clad in nothing but a towel. When Vejita arrived to check on him, he figured the boy was acting on perverted fantasies- with what his beet shaded face was—but it turned out he was merely ashamed about imposing on her private time, rather than the fact she engineered the situation to get at him.

"Hey! I am perfectly justified on doing what I do. Everyone else just isn't at my level, you know."

A familiar blue haired teen walked by the recreation room as he said the line. Having known the boy state that general statement, she decided on intervening. "Except for me right—_Tari-sensei_?" It was common knowledge of that term being his nickname at the university as he had submitted ground breaking work each month to all the life science major departments so that he could get himself through in the two years. She found it admirable that he also found time to help her, so she called him that and ever since it stuck like cocklebur seeds.

"Nora?" What are you doing here?" Nora Levy was a university colleague Taritsu was associated with a few years ago. Having studied biological engineering, he had asked her for resources in regards to computer sciences and programming, and quickly grew interested in the girl. According to everyone who knew her, she was actually twelve when she entered university thanks to private tutors that he father could afford with his vast amount in the banks, so the girl was just a year and a few months older than him, but she seemed much more around his suggestive age.

For that reason alone, people would assume the two being an item when they studied together, or worse—associated by Taritsu's sudden interest of the older girl. Taritsu wouldn't put up with that as he saw her as an older sister type, whereas she didn't say anything.

She was going to answer that she applied to work in the company, but catching the eye of the pained Vejita (who appeared rather sensitive without his scowl as he was recovering), blushed madly and left hastily. '_I didn't know he had a handsome older brother. I can't bare him thinking I'm weird; better settle things later._'

Ignoring her weird behavior, Vejita assumed what profession "_Kakarotto_" may have a knack for. "Have you considered being a mechanic? Or an inventor? Perhaps a prodigy genius would be best to describe your skills."

She immediately denied that last part, stating that she was nothing close to Taritsu. "I'm just naturally gifted with these things. Taritsu's a genius, he just needs the right motivation." She looked up at the boy admirably. Taritsu had a good heart, incredible at many things, well educated, and was practically someone you'd like to be around with. However, at times he could be an airhead, especially with his lack of understanding in the concept of love. It could easily be the topic of a psychology class why he actively used familial love as his strongest affection for others. He had to at least have someone he was interested in. '_Then again, he might as well kept that promise because he only saw each other as friends._'

"..._and another goal I have is to own my own island; fill it up with exotic creatures, like in that one novel, with the dinosaurs. Except I'll create life myself instead of clones..._"

*rolling his eyes* "Keep dreaming. He's only fourteen since a good couple weeks ago, considering today is May 11th and his anniversary is April the 18th. The best I'll acknowledge is that he's a ditz genius." He left the room, only to return to drop off the weapon he still had. Charlotte thanked him, but he stated it was just a tiny mistake on his part. Vejita also said that they better come up with something soon if they were really going to use the treasures. Perhaps something with the strange clothes they had.

"Pops did say the clown's going off to his grandfather's again. Wouldn't want to waste the opportunity of these resources before you leave."

He then left the two alone, making for an awkward scene when Taritsu finally opened his eyes from the long lecture of how he was going to achieve his goal. Unsure what happened, Charlotte merely punched him in the shoulder affectionately; they had a project to work on, and learning of the clothes' properties in the little time they had was pretty much a challenge.

* * *

Chihaba was a fairly peaceful city. Not much crime occurred in the district, especially not when Daisuke was in the city. Accompanied by his extended family on behalf of his maternal uncle's side of the family, the sixty-four year old grandfather awaited at the arrivals for his daughter and the rest of the family. This was only for the time being while they left plans being adjusted by the scientist friend of Taritsu- Dr. Weissman Wyle- to get him inside a very special program that required both the boy and the Sparks family to comply.

"Will he have mastered his training, _Sodaina Oji_?" Asked a seventeen year old.

The emperor looked upon his nephew who had delicate white hair, reminiscent to that of the snow. He also had a similar eye color to Taritsu's original, but that was replaced by dark irises upon placing the inhibitors on him when he was born. The Goddess's servant-Whytte- required them to do that so he wouldn't get consumed by his own power; it was an astonishing high level: "_Sixty-three thousand. Over half as much as his ancestor had been when we met_."

When they did as they were asked, Yanagi grew quite alarm seeing her soon appear with white locks at times, but Whytte assured that the circumstances of the inhibitors were working overtime to ensure the boy's power wouldn't flare up; in other words: it was normal. At least until he grew older and developed more power on his own, which didn't happen until after he had learned sword skills that summer he appeared with a strange pendant. Daisuke could have sworn seeing a third individual with his grandson and his female friend; he wasn't hostile, but the sight of him was cryptic. '_No. It might have just been another like Whytte._'

Finally the familiar family arrived, accompanied by the elder pair whom he knew intimately as the Kairne counterpart family head. They didn't bring much, just enough for a three week visit. Oddly enough, it was Taritsu who had the least amount of luggage, but he carried his grandparent's luggage regardless. Usually he would have a lot of possessions with him, but he only brought the basic necessities this time around. It made him wonder if his grandson had changed significantly since the last he heard. Perhaps his nephew- Caine Sugata- would be astonished to learn how much the five year old had developed since they were three years apart.

"Welcome, _musume_. _Giri no musuko_." He greeted the two first as he was always punctual about formalities. Yanagi and her husband were greatly responsible for his recovery in health, having allowed him to catch up on the much needed rest he kept putting off. Now he decided returning the favor under the guise of a family visit.

"_Otousan_, how has life treated you? I see you have began clearing up those horrible rings under your eyes."

"Great. I haven't much to worry, especially not since a new member of the Diet returned from his temporary position in Sagratia. Do you remember your friend, _Matsuoka Kaede_?"

'_She spoke to father? What ever could the nature of her visit be?_' Yanagi nodded, wanting to learn more.

"Her husband came to me one day. He asked whether or not he they could meet with Kyousuke. It seems he left an impression on the man, _musume_." A hearty laughter resonated in the room. It was the same ones he gave when he found out Sedrick had finally proposed, which Yanagi knew full well her father had those condescending thoughts again. "_I expect a grandchild. On the double._" Of course he was joking on what he said, but despite Yanagi's embarrassment, Sedrick was hardly interested in committing the act any time soon. That is until that night when he saw how she felt when she believed no one was inside the room.

"_Otousan_. Kyousuke barely knows the man, and he hardly finds interviews, let alone conversations in the slightest of interest. Maybe if he was offered a job or position at some government secured bio-lab, then maybe he'd agree. And there's also my consent we have to go through."

Daisuke listened intently, but an unfamiliar member of her daughter's family had caught his eye. The girl was currently looking after Alexander and Aliya, whilst Taritsu was looking inside his bags for a small item he had stored- a journal. He briefly wondered if they had a secret child no one knew about, but her daughter beat her to it before he could make things complicated.

"I almost forgot," she called Paula over, introducing the two to one another. "She has been staying with us for the time being. I figured since Kyousuke loves to travel a lot, I'd have her look after him."

"So... a body guard." It was second nature for Daisuke; since his sudden ascension to the throne, Daisuke had founded a clansmen faction that would function as his security. Naming them after the Usagi folklore for bringing justice, Daisuke had a grown reputation of being called "_The Gold King_" thanks to his choice of uniform.

"No, _otousan_. More of an extension to my being. The poor girl had been without a home for six years, and I offered her sanction. Yet, she declined until I brought up the fact if she felt guilty about being a liability. So far, the most I have her do is look after the twins, and Kyousuke's been with Sharurotto-chan." That last part reminded him of what Jack Chandler had asked. You see, Daisuke knew very well of the growing affections Charlotte had towards his grandson, but both denied it being classified as _that_ type of love. He suspected Charlotte didn't want to ruin the relationship, whereas his grandson didn't have a strong understanding on love; familial and friendship was the most he'd give, like Sedrick, but it was spent wisely as he had a small distrust in others when they came to him. Chandler basically asked to confirm if his boy currently fancied anyone, but his phrasing was more or less asking where he was studying and if he could recommend his youngest for enrollment.

Never had he had a good laugh at the look of his face when he learned the boy had Doctorates and a PhD already. "Well father. As you had implied. _What was the nature of his visit_?"

He adjusted his coat, finding it chilly in the building. Checking his watch, he decided telling her later that the time would come soon that he'd need to go off on his own. Besides, he wanted to get consent from his grandson as well, and he was just getting acquainted with the family after 9 years as well.

* * *

'_I can't believe mom never let me in these stores before. What a large selection of novels they have._' The hairs on my neck twitched as I heard the all too well steps of the young woman who was basically a foster sister of mine. Paula was great and all, but honestly... she stood out a lot with that black spaghetti string tank top and the red, no-shoulder, blouse. To top it off, she was wearing a blue dress sash; well, at least it was better than the rags she was wearing when we met. An aged cowl and a sleeveless purple tunic, finished with leg warmers and wrist cuffs. How she was never aware of the indecency made me cautious of the others around the area.

"_Magistri_ Mauricio..."

There she goes again, using that archaic term for me. Honestly, had I not picked up an anthropology book, I wouldn't have known she was referring to me on the same levels as a renaissance university teacher. '_I may have my credentials, but I'm certainly not qualified. And stop calling me that... it feels weird being called master._'

"Why are we at a place of amusement, when your mother would very much prefer that you stay with_ Madonna_ Catalina and_ Maestro_ Johannes?"

Obviously she didn't know what I was waiting for. Currently, my grandparents allowed me to join them on their outing to this city- Jesong- and _nonna_ Catalina wished to get me a surprise gift for later on. That concludes why I am with Paula in a separate section, but I also wanted to have a good fight, so I headed to a denser populated area and spent my time picking up conversations around me. Thanks to that- and the statistics of crime happening around here more frequent than back at Chihaba- I figured waiting until someone tried me. Lately I was having suggestive thoughts that pleaded to me on finding some form of adrenaline rush, and that lead to an insatiable itch until I challenged some dude in a sports vehicle. The look on his face when I told him I could outrun him- Hah! It was arrogant, but I'm sure they would like to take advantage of a spendthrift boy like myself with that bet money, so I awaited for my rush of action to come to me. Then again, the looks every male seemed to give off and that sash was making me wonder.

"Oi, Paula."

Her doe-like eyes starred deep into me, anticipating what I might say. Honestly, I do understand what kind of wish fulfillment sickos have wanting a girl at their beck and call, almost as if they were nothing more than a dog at best- not that I find dogs horrible creatures, they just have that sort of connotation of degrading themselves for their owner's enjoyment. However, I thought more of Paula, because I could sense there was a connection between us. '_What am I thinking. Get over yourself man. She is her own person; one can not bend to your will._'

"Want to join me and eat out or something?" She was working pretty hard lately, and I was getting bored blowing the money all on myself. I guess she deserved something nice. Her embarrassment was obvious though; why would she be, when it's perfectly normal for someone to treat another with niceties?

"I would..._refrain from that sort of behavior_." What? Eating out was perfectly acceptable between friends. At the university, they invited me to restaurants and study group sessions- though I was obligated to teach them the material. Is she worried that my mother would disapprove?

"Hey kid. Keep away from my girlfriend you little shit." Spoke a fool who idiotically put his hands on my new clothing. It was "_suave_" as the university students would say, a blue hoodie and a red shirt underneath. To this guy, I may have seemed like a punk, but I could sense he was merely trying my naivety to get Paula. *sigh* Seems like he'll learn the hard way.

At high speed, Taritsu took him out, leaving the pervert sprawled on the floor. The motion caused him to drop all the stolen articles he had as well, allowing patrolling policemen the fortune of capturing their fleeting suspect.

"Thanks kid." He had a double take, wondering where I may have been seen. I couldn't blame him; my hair and eyes were the cobalt and emerald they always were when I went out. It helped disguise my identity, so no one really bothered me like they used to. Then again, I hardly remember when I started going out using the colors for my benefit. Did that guy who wrote the message have anything behind this?

"_Sonikku_" My ears twitched hearing the name. I thought I remembered that term, but I couldn't exactly recall from where... or when for that matter. But that wasn't to worry about for now; someone familiar was stating the name once more.

"Eto, you're_ the_ Sonikku?"

Apparently my puzzled look called for them to explain the situation.

"A few days ago, a blue blur speed throughout the country. Several ongoing cases had been solved thanks to whoever- or whatever- the blur was. Recently, someone managed to capture footage of a bluenette, fighting at '_Toransonikku_' speeds, and the video went viral. They've been calling this fighter "_Sonikku_", and I'm a bit surprised that you happen to also possess similar abilities."

Again, the person called for me once more, this time in visual range and waving their hand in the air. I should have known we'd cross paths again.

"Well, I'm not really sure I'm your guy. All I did was taught the fool a lesson for picking on my sister; I'm no law enforcer. What you see is what you get; just a guy who loves adventure."

Apparently this only furthered their convinced idea that I was a super hero. True, I may have started that time in '01, but that was a one time thing where Kakarotto asked me to step in. And maybe I've happened to come along with a few crooks during my runs, but I never actively looked for them. Did my cohabiting mental friend do all that without me knowing?

"Hey can you sign this for my son? He really looks up to you."

Reluctantly, I gave them a quick doodle, not wanting to reveal my name and compromising my "free" civilian life. Apparently drawing a half pinwheel galaxy was enough to satisfy them. All I really did was give up on drawing a complete spiral, but they ate up at the "autograph" as if I were a grand celebrity.

"Mauricio. I'm sorry I got you into this trouble." '_Why are you apologizing? I got what I wanted, so no biggie._' She then gave me a knowing look that I was given clear to check on the one calling me. How she never made the people around her annoyed despite the commotion she may have made was beyond me.

'_Wait_ _a minute. I was seen across the country?_' Vejita had called me the other day stating how he saw me on international news again. This time battling a fleet out in the Ixen ocean. That was practically on the other side of the planet! And my suspicions were true when he later called back, retracting his statement and merely said it was a another superhero with super speed. Blitz, or Slip... I can't really remember since Vejita's end was hounded with static. But speeding across the country was ridiculous; Boruvia was a nation comprised of hundreds of islands assimilated into one country. If one made the right assumptions, that would mean I was fast enough to run across the ocean!

Finally, I made it to where the sixteen year old was having her lunch. Next to her were a couple of school friends, as I assumed. I didn't really like the atmosphere they were giving off; very superficial and tried hard to seem favorable in one's leniency. They were reminiscent of those university students who offered me meals for late studying sessions, but at least they learned their lessons. Never bribe me with food, lest you have a black hole deprive your wallet is what they would say to their colleagues the day after. These few, were obviously suckling off the familiar one, happy to be acknowledged by a popular student, I suppose. They also tried to get a photo with me, but I made sure to turn them down. People like that who used others really made me sick; they could go off and suffer for all I care, but I'll never...

"Do you remember me, Taritsu?"

'_I thought BALM erased all their memories!?_'


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**"Speedwagon's Expeditions for Generation-X Agency"**

* * *

_Jack Chandler was not considered a delicate man. _

To the average citizen, he was a politician and a member of the Diet since his company had boomed success in the mid-eighties. As luck would have it, his past was covered up thanks to who he called "Elder brother", and he had a beautiful wife and daughter thanks to who his "Elder brother" was. Now, this didn't mean he had his own problems; along with having the fortune of having his free life, Jack had many enemies and deadly factions who wanted him under their authority, and that wasn't even accounting for the public enemies he may have made!

For the most part, his ability to persuade was great, not overwhelming, but enough to have made a deal with BALM's lower agency to avoid having his family's mind wiped- only if they compromised.

"So neither of you have lost your memories? That's pretty cool." In actuality, Clarinda's mother took the offer to keep from causing distress within her family, whereas her little sister woke up with little memory of that day.

Clarinda giggled at his dazzling eyes. For what she knew about the boy, he was stoic and passive if one spoke to him with nonintellectual topics, but pique his interests and he'd babble over it like a child and their new toy. Then again, what her father had told her described a very driven person who seemed quite hurt, but nonetheless helped others despite the danger. It was that attitude that impressed both her father and herself.

"Well, he did say it wasn't all on his part."

"What do you mean?" Taritsu was really concerned with what she was implying, and he couldn't tell what her conversation was leading up to. Clarinda noticed his sudden behavioral shift, observing how he quickly went on guard as he was assessing the situation. '_It could make a scene though._'

"Well...they gave in when my father told them that he knew you, and that you'd come after them if they tried anything. A dirty lie, but you got to give it to him; what else would you do if your family was on the line?"

However, Taritsu could see that something was amiss. For all his life, he had been noticing trends with how people treated him. For the most part, if they feared him, it was because of his power, but the feeling of admiration was based out of his generosity. From what he knew, BALM didn't have much to fear of him back when he was 10, but they would have as of recently since his bracers were rendered at 50% functional. Sure, he had a lot of spare energy, hardly got sick, and a vast array of ingenious plans for his future goals; he had an idea of what could be done about most of the heirlooms, and the boots were currently under research by Weissman as a favor. '_Oh, better not forget he needs that alloy. I think he was planning on building an android- and I get to help!_'

However, the time for giddily enjoying the project was not now. Within the same moment, his mind was clearing any inconsistencies, eventually returning to the night he had been doused with those biomolecules. With what he could, the pieces came altogether now as he concluded that BALM must have shipped them, knowing that he would mess around and get himself doused. However, he couldn't exactly see how they would have known that night a storm was brewing unless...

"Clari-"

"You know, you could call me Claire. That's what people usually call me, and to be honest, it sort of feels weird with you using my full name."

Taritsu swallowed his retort, ensuring he wouldn't abuse the older girl. Paula seemed to understand that he was struggling to hold in his feelings, but she didn't know whether she should calm him down or tell him they should leave. Either option would make the teen seem submissive, so the most she could do was give him a reassuring glance. "_Claire_. My grandfather had said a while back that your father came for a visit. If you don't mind my asking, what was it about?"

The others who were at the table were whispering gossip, irking the boy's mind as he hated their pettiness. It took a lot not to go ballistic against them, so he reminded that he'd have to treat himself for the good behavior. '_I'll definitely deserve chilidogs after this._'

Now Clarinda was stumped. Her father's exact words were no where along the lines she could remember. He may have inquired whether the kid was attending any schools, slyly hoping to set up a scenario that his daughter could conveniently attend by "coincidence", but it seemed risky telling it like that. Then again, her younger sister had forgotten the events of September 11th since she had awoken from her induced sleep, so simply placing her in the same institute as him wouldn't guarantee anything. Looking at his hoodie-jacket- which was sort of half-open, half-zipped- she could see that he had a golden locket pendant that seemed to complement the one her sister had.

'_Ho? Are they secretly seeing each other? Maybe I could use that as a focal point._' "Tarit~su," her cutesy way of pronouncing his name resulted in a favorable cringe that made her understand he wouldn't be so defensive about her inquiring. Besides, she found his squirming of his face as he hid from the others who took the opportunity to capture pictures of his embarrassment. "Do you have anyone special in mind?"

'_Hmm? Does she mean Charlotte? She is a good friend, and great sister. I really like her, and those tails she has..._' He paused. The memories were coming back as he was acknowledging the scene where he was a little boy just past a year old and miraculously already capable of running around and with an understanding of conversations. Back then, his mother and father were busy ensuring that no harm would come to him, and were very protective. Only at times when they couldn't look after him, a good friend would take care of him alongside the still living Kakarotto. This woman, for what he could remember was clad in a three-pronged silver headdress and blonde. Noticeable features he could immediately recall was the waist long hair braid and the radiant smile she had while holding him in place. The warmth he felt, and security, made him wish that he could do the same for her. But unfortunately...

Kakarotto's mother had died by the time he could display such appreciation.

'_...do I have feelings for their mother? Or is this just guilt that I am not showing her my appreciation- neglecting my wishes to please my wonderful aunt?_' He considered a few instances more, but that was the most he could get from that age. Weird as it may seem, despite having a greater access to his memories ever since the bracers functioned at the 50% capability, his infant years were unobtainable still. Knowing that lamenting on it would bring nothing good, he went on to the memories he had. He could see through the reflection of Clarinda's irises that she glanced at the token that hanged from his neck, that she was definitely interested what he felt about it.

"Well," the memories were becoming fuzzy, and he quickly found his saliva drying in his mouth. Soon, his mind began to black out; the other personality was taking control now. From what they could see, the boy had a blank look, figuring that he may have been incredibly pensive of what he wanted to say. A dark look in his eyes appeared, observing his surroundings as he had sensed the innocent personality was anxious of strange ringing sounds from across the city. '_It's not getting any louder. I hear gunshots... and an engine revving._' He let go off the male's wrist and apologized.

Getting up, he had to check if any civilians were harmed. '_Damn, why does he have to feel sentimental. I guess he's still the innocent child of all these years, and despite acknowledging death, I must have done a good enough job to let him stick to his ideals. Hmmph, I'd rather he stays awry of these bystanders; any misfortune that would occur would break his sense of self, negating that seal. Besides, I'm not yet at my full strength to take over at will, just when he's feeling uneasy does opportunity arise._'

"_Where's he going?_" Taritsu had walked towards the edge of the balcony, assessing the amount of force he'd need to land in an open area. With his dual processing mind, he flipped over, never disoriented by the movements and landed, all whilst he calculated the armored get-away car as it speed towards the area his innocent self was worried about. He could feel the presence of his spirit friend nearby, perhaps coming with some news as Charlotte had regularly kept in touch with him once a week. However, Taritsu was focused on what his next possible moves were going to be.

'_95% chance they'll speed onwards and run me down. 2% they'll go either left or right, followed by another 2% they'll take the sidewalk. I'm uneasy about that 1% they'll use weapons. This body may not be fast enough._'

Screams could be heard as the on looking crowd watched as Taritsu simply stood in front of vehicle's path.

What happened next seemed almost out of a film.

In bullet time, the boy adjusted his position, facing the oncoming bullets. Having accepted the fact, he followed the backup plan he had, analyzing the amount of bullets fired. By the sound of the chamber going off, he counted two bullets, whizzing in a trajectory that would only miss him. It horrified everyone when he stuck his arms out, picking the bullets with his gloved digits and manipulating their trajectory through the energy training. It happened all systematically for him; the tires blew out from the shots, and Taritsu now had to move onto his next phase.

Bracing himself for the vehicle landing overhead on his palms, the name he heard from Kakarotto irked him. It was strange. A simple change in the lettering of his name would have been considered a simple pronunciation mistake, yet he felt as if that meant something deeper to him. Perhaps, maybe Kakarotto knew more about his problems than he lead on; he was a spirit- and that probably meant he had access to other realms too.

Ku~aah!

"Who the hell is this guy?" From the mirrors, Taritsu could see they were deciding on aiming their guns at civilians, but he made sure to shake the 3 tonne vehicle to distract them.

The vehicle dropped in the middle of the streets, and brief flashes of lights could be seen inside. It wasn't until the police stopped, a few meters away from the flipped vehicle that they found their convicts were tossed out, tied by the ropes they used for their heist. Finally, the boy emerged, holding all the illegal weapons they had on them and dropped them as a pile. Without a word, he flipped the vehicle to correct it and began to walk away once he noticed his grandparents rush out of the stores.

"Paula, let's go. _Jii-san_ and _Nonno_ wanted to talk to me about some program taking place out in the Srolst isles."

She complied, understanding that he wanted to avoid attention for what had just occurred. Properly, she gave them formal words of departure on their behalf, and left. She could see the pensive look that Clarinda had. She figured that it was because of his actions, but the reality was that Clarinda was going to find out the information for her father head-on.

* * *

Caine had no idea how his cousin was behaving coldly, nor for what reason. He gave him an acknowledging look, stated hello, and walked inside. The girl who followed him around, Paula, informed him of this. He figured he was itching for a good sword fight, but the older teen saw that he had grazed marks on the tips of his gloves and skin.

"Has he always been like this?" It was an excellent question, but Caine honestly didn't know how to state in words what he knew of his cousin. "He blanked out when asked about whether he had someone he loved and then stopped a get-away car."

His reaction was neither too exaggerated nor passive. Caine began coughing on his own accord from the loaded words, knowing that perhaps his cousin was touchy about the events 9 years ago. True, the kid was incredibly dedicated at his studies and mastering the art of swordplay, but there was a childish side to him that was always in touch with his youth. The very fact that he stopped a crime was indicative of the fact that he still enjoyed seeking adventures. In fact, one of those adventures had lead to him meeting that four year old politician's daughter.

"Well. If you really want to know, it started all when he was a young child. Think shorter than how he is now; shorter than that."

"He was 3 feet tall! How old was he?"

"5, but you really shouldn't be surprised. He's always been shorter than regular children his age. I think he's merely 5'2 as of now." Caine then began to scramble to his cleaning duties as he watched the neighboring family who lived with them exit the building. Following the woman who was obviously the mother, was a girl around Taritsu's height with jagged purple hair. She was incredibly quiet for a shrine priestess's daughter, but anyone would interpret that as devotion to the profession. The only few that knew why was her mother, Taritsu, and himself.

"Excuse me."

Jogging ahead, Caine managed to intercept the priestess before she went off to her routine blessings of the surrounding forest. She had a pleasant look of surprise when she saw the seventeen year old head her way.

"_Sugata-kun_. Have your duties finished? You know how the spirits get riled up when the sanctuary isn't cleansed."

"I have, Nagato-san," Caine informed as he briefly eyed the girl. From what history they knew each other, Nagato's daughter was incredibly docile, and it didn't take much for her to cry when they were kids. A couple years ago, that was still the case when they were both 13, but now...

"Cinna, hasn't said a word at all yet, Sugata," she sighed. Nagato had come to appreciated the white haired samurai, and considered him almost as family nowadays. It was thanks to him, that Cinna was still with them, but the teen still felt guilty. "I know you're worried, but rejoice with the blessings you have. I'm sure, in that way, Cinna would be pleased."

"Y-yeah. I'll do that." Caine was internally cursing himself. Had it not been for his recklessness, he wouldn't have let Cinna head up to the mountain paths on her own. She wanted to search for clues on the origins of Taritsu's pendant when he called them for clues, and when an ecstatic Cinna asked what he was calling about, Caine ignored her rambling and told her to buzz off.

That was the moment Caine regretted the most. Out of the adoration she had for his kid cousin, Cinna went off to prove that she could be useful as well, rather than joining Caine when he was able to go. '_She almost lost her life, and her entire memories._' He looked once more at the girl, catching a glimpse of the small scar under her bangs that remained since her accident. Every time he looked at it, he scolded himself, as it was a reminder that he failed protecting whom he swore to. If he could, he would have engaged in seppuku, but they assured him that accident's happened all the time.

"Well, I'll make sure to have mother prepare your tea on your return. I have to check on _Sodaina Oji_."

She chuckled in agreement, then waved him off while heading in her respected direction. As he walked away, Caine could have sworn Cinna had a lingering gaze towards him, but as he caught her in eye contact, she turned away and left as well. '_Weird. She usually keeps her gaze longer than that. Is something going on?_'

Ultimately, Caine decided it wasn't much for thought, and returned to a now seated Paula. As much as he wanted to avoid talking about the past, this teen had a warm aura surrounding her that he couldn't ignore. "Anyway, as I was saying earlier..."

The conversation sparked, pausing at important moments as Caine was leading up to that encounter Taritsu had. Throughout all this, Paula had a devoted attention to detail, remarking that he still had several of those habits to this day. Eventually, she wondered why the boy had wanted to head out in the forest alone when earlier Caine stated that the mountain harbored many wild beasts and creatures, but Caine assured that his cousin had systematically made tracks to ensure his location would always be known and he wanted to test his swordplay on the bamboo clearings nearby.

"He was completely engaged in the training that he didn't notice that he ventured off too far."

* * *

"So he was married? Without even realizing it?" The act seemed noble to Paula. Her impression of the young champion was stimulated by the fact he was dedicated to helping Euphie, but she couldn't stand how innocent and lightly he took these serious issues. Maybe, espousing oneself with another to override the obligations of betrothal was indeed the best choice, but the etymology of words change.

Had her mother never taught her proper vocabulary or manners, she wouldn't have been as she was now. The thought of ending up as her brother was frightening, but it was pitiful once she understood that he was simply doing what he could with what he had. Additionally, she did recall her mother state that she wished to raise her daughter in honor of her deceased friend; she must have been a saint, since the stories told indicated she forgave her family's killer.

"Yup," Caine grunted as he rolled his palms forward and used the momentum. "However, I don't think he knows or cares. With all that extensive knowledge he gains, it seems he values rationality over the every day qualities that make life enjoyable. When's the last time you've seen him relax, engaged in a task suitable for his age?"

She thought about it, but each occurrence she remembered was related to work or the like. One day he would be found outside, racing against a jet as he tested his top speed. Another involved him looking into a microscope as he was interested with his oxygen levels that hemoglobin carried, then he'd put that away and train his breathing capacity. Lately, the young boy also started collaborating on a project with Dr. Weissman, working on "society's guardian" which meant he'd have to run errands across the country. In all situations, Taritsu was either being productive or sating his curiosity. "No, I don't think he has been calm. At least... I think he hasn't."

There was this one occurrence when she saw the boy working on a new type of vehicle that could transform for different environmental purposes. The designs he intended held a great amount of functions, including aviation and marine propulsion. He stated he would like to observe rare species in rather isolated environments, since he finally gotten his doctorates, but when Paula asked him "_why not teach classes instead_", his reaction was the typical

_"I do not have a proper understanding to lecture others of my informed opinion and knowledge."_

All in all, even when it came to what he loved doing, Taritsu was incredibly indulged with productivity. The only way he'd get out of it is if his body reminded him of biological needs to avoid starvation, or if Charlotte was asked to advise him that it was time to go. And yes... Paula did know that Charlotte was impersonating her brother as well, but respected their privacy as she wouldn't want to impose on the family issues behind it by revealing their secret. '_Besides,_' Paula thought, valuing the bonding sessions they had. '_Charlotte seems to have a good influence on him. She's his conscience, and although not one of faith, I believe he cares a lot for her that he'd never betray his_ _morals._'

The conversation came to an end as the teen walked out from the building; face plastered with a frown, Taritsu seriously didn't find the idea of returning into an institution appealing. Years of having jumped grades and entered programs that were fit for the most brilliant minds on the planet (that alone would have taken 10 years if he were casually doing things), graduating early and beginning his projects, only to have the hindrance of his grandfather obligating him to go. '_Why should I. It's not like I need to go. I have my education, I have friends, and certainly have awareness of the world._'

Yet those reasons were futile to sway the old emperor. Even though Daisuke was more of a symbolic figure of the righteousness of their nation these days (just as the Rutabaski's were the "royal" family), he still had authority over most life decisions. "_What's done is done; you're to attend the academy and learn._"

He scoffed at the thought. As if there was more he could learn from an academy; it may have been an extensive private academy, and likely the only one of its caliber in the world, but he simply could not fathom going for another four years. Hell, he even tried to excuse himself with the quality time he wanted with his siblings, but they assured he should go on with it anyway. Besides, Aliya gave him her puppy eyes, whereas Alexander stated he wanted him to bring back a souvenir. '_I can forgive Aliya, but Alex is going to get it._'

"Hmm? Was your discussion over so soon?" startled Caine, just as Taritsu hit the wooden post. He laughed while Paula place her hand over her mouth, concerned for his carelessness. Certainly something was on his mind.

*groaning* "How about a quick spar. I've been waiting for one since we've got here."

Caine smugly accepted the challenge. "Heh, I've trained myself far longer than you have. Let's see what you've got."

* * *

Within the hangar, Taritsu and Charlotte were currently testing out his new vehicle's specifications. It was a powerful model, made of a great design similar to Cheisu's. Originally, he wished to hand it over as a gift to the older man, but Cheisu politely declined.

"It's practically been made by your specifications. I could never handle lifting the plane if the yoke is sturdy enough to handle the forces you apply." Cheisu stated, eying his little sister and smiling as she was in the pilot's seat, playfully imagining she was flying the aviation machine. "Besides. I'm not someone you can rely on for research. Maybe my sister, but..." He quietly directed him to look for himself before heading off to check in at BALM. Honestly, seeing the girl be herself made Taritsu smile; it wasn't always the case where Charlotte could do what she liked, and these rare moments reminded him that they were still children.

'_Guess I'll rework the specs._' He thought while getting right back to the drawing board. Hours had passed, so only Baddack and Weissman were left inside the facilities. Baddack was documenting research, while Weissman had finished up on building the last of the android's hardware and casing. All that was needed now was to incorporate an AI morality simulation program and test it on a field run, but he thought better of it while the two were busy working. Charlotte was sleepy, and found the back seat comfortable, as Taritsu did make it large enough to theoretically fit a fair sized bedroom

Minutes passed as the boy felt the need to eat once more. Oddly enough, these days Taritsu rarely felt the need for sleep, and didn't feel deprived after two or three nights; his hunger would flare, but it wasn't so bad. Of course, seeing Charlotte sleeping made him want to rest as well. Plus, he didn't want another incident like when he piloted four years ago either. '_Chilidogs sound nice right about now._' He thought whilst walking around into the rec room. The lights were out throughout the building, and it seemed Baddack was also preparing a cot for him to spend the night.

With the snack in his hands, the young teen walked around, acknowledging each project they had been working on. The boots turned out to be hyper friction resistant, but the log Xetsu had written stated they were incredibly useful for running...half of the time. Weissman had confirmed that the materials that they were made of weren't anything special, and he had it tested in other groups to figure why it was special. What they found out was that the boots were heavier after having been placed on, making the user fall over from the sudden halts or skid along if they managed to keep running. Such a discovery was strange to him since there wasn't any scientific explanation as to why the sudden change of weight when they were placed on, but he didn't mind. All he could think was how much of an idiot one must have seemed running with them, always redistributing their weight as it made it hard to stop from skidding around, but Xetsu also noted that incorporating cold to the boots made the skidding factor manageable.

'_I'll need to test this out then._' He went around looking for valuable substance that could act as a substitute for cleats, finally finding a vital amount of permafrost.

At first, the boots were working like any ordinary pair he wore before; even without the permafrost all seemed to be going well once it fell off. He continued running, until the watch on his wrist distracted him in the direction he was going. Eventually he noticed the skimming of ripples beneath his feet as he ran, noticing how easily he traversed the surface of water. The fact this was possible scared him, causing a misstep, but he kept going. Not even running anymore, his momentum practically drove him to shore, and eventually got off to check how that made sense.

'_Looks like I'll be up all night then._' The boots were a bit clunky, but some alterations with the material shouldn't ruin it. All he needed was to grab a few samples and synthetically create a similar material that wouldn't waste any of the rare material.

* * *

"..._Mau-ri~ciooo_." Catalina had awoken early to catch her grandson before it was time for him to leave. Having heard about his requirement to attend the Academy, she was reminded of her husband's choice to join an Alternative school. Everything about her grandson was either mirroring his life, or fulfilling her wishes of what she viewed as a well lived time. It also didn't hurt that her daughter-in-law was an advocate for his studies, but at times she'd want him to take it easy. She eventually found him. Hunched over and face flat on the desk, she thought it was cute seeing the carbon copy of Johannes in that position. '_Jojo should see this._'

"_I...I don't wanna go to school mom..._" From what she heard, she believed her grandson was actually normal for once. With what she knew, everyone would grow detested of school sooner or later, but the pursuit of knowledge was so great with her grandson that it seemed nigh impossible he'd outright protest. Verbal confirmation proved otherwise, but it was sleep talk anyways. For all she knew, he could had been having a bad dream.

"Mauricio. Wake up, _nipote_." It wasn't worth wasting one's time trying to wake the teen. If he was tired, he _damn_ well remain asleep until his body was ready. But Catalina wasn't one to give up so easily. First, she tried the '_tickling of one's neck_' approach, then tried to pop a paper bag near his ears. Splashing water on him didn't work either, but the unconscious movement he did to protect the papers underneath that would have been ruined got her thinking.

With each and every attempt, she eventually figure taking away his documents, planning to scare him awake by whispering that they've been stolen. Looking at the blue prints, however, recalculated her actions. '_Guess I'll just do this for him then._'

After a couple hours passed, the teen prodigy awoke to see his papers in a neat stack and an amber eyed woman looking at him caringly. Her smile widened seeing him yawn like a newborn, obviously deprived of a proper bed since his muscles visibly resisted his stretches. Eventually, he managed to get up and greet his grandmother.

"_Buon Giorno, Nonna._" Taritsu kindly stated with proper eye contact. His gaze landed upon the boxes she had. "Anything important?"

Catalina giggled, reminded of Johannes on how he'd ask people first thing after the greeting. However, it made her sad how the men in her life were awry of the boy's future. '_Why are they so afraid? He's not some alien; if anything, he's a well-mannered Jojo. Well, maybe not entirely like Jojo._' The difference between Johannes and Taritsu was clear on a few things: Jojo was dedicated and mastered things in short bursts, while Taritsu continued until he understood, then carefully archived it for later. Jojo also knew what basic concepts were, such as love and the art of savviness. Taritsu probably didn't recognize love as well as his own father did; Sedrick broadly comprehended it as wishing the best of well being for the other individual that mattered to him, but his son caught on and believed it was something else entirely based on that. In fact, she also noted that he exhibited Kaido's solemnity, so if anything, Taritsu was like a mix between Johannes and Daisuke-Taro; a Jotaro if you will.

She shook her head, wishing not to dwell on his faults. For what they've managed without her, the boy turned out alright, but she really hoped having been there for her children when they needed guidance. A man could only go so far teaching life skills if they can't teach how to survive one's self. "Mauricio, I actually have a couple of presents for you."

She handed him the boxes. The first one was larger than the rest, and she prompted him to open it. Inside there was two other boxes, and he concluded that they must have been from his paternal grandparents. The first of the two contained a black overcoat- likely the gift of his grandfather's.

"This is great. But I think it's a bit too big for me." His small stature emphasized the height difference, but Catalina insisted otherwise. Besides, even at the 157 cm height he currently was (significantly shorter than a certain flame-esque haired boy towering at 180 cm), Johannes knew the teen was just nearing his growth spurt soon; the estimated date being just before classes starts. Taritsu, however, was embarrassed of his height; Charlotte was taller than him, and he didn't like being reminded of that fact, but he also didn't wish to offend his grandparents.

"Open mine next."

He did so, taking the second box and uncovering the papers to find a matching cap. Placing it on by insistence of his cheerful grandmother, he found that it blended with his hair. "Is it suppose to do that?"

"If you don't like it, I understand..."

"No, I like it, but it seems kind of weird." He pointed up, indicating that it hanged over his head like a basket, but Catalina thought something else by that.

Catalina thought she understood exactly what he meant. The cap was bare, and a bit of decoration was in call for. With a quick withdrawal from her pins, she placed a golden button on it and took a step back to assess his outfit.

"Woah," It was like he were a toddler playing dress up, but they clothing was still great on him. If anything, he looked a bit like a stoic badass, despite it's ridiculousness. Perhaps her daughter-in-law knew better than her choice of outfit. "Here," she handed the shopping bag that contained most of his departing presents. "Find something you'll like."

A couple minutes passed as he changed behind closed doors, eventually coming out with a red jacket with white sleeves. The contrast of a black undershirt and cyclist gloves improved his previous look, obviously not too tight but certainly with enough room to still fit into after his first growth spurt. Even so, Catalina still thought there was something missing.

"Looking good, son. Going off to see a game?" Both Sedrick and Yanagi entered to see off their child. It was necessary that he would leave early so that his flight wouldn't span into the night, but they were uneasy with him conducting it on his own. One would wonder why not just take a proper flight at the airport, but the grandfathers knew it was necessary this way. If there was public sighting of him going off on his own, then many enemies would be informed. Additionally, they couldn't necessarily compromise the whereabouts of Speedwagon's academy; it was privately owned and would only recruit the best of top performing individuals, plus the old man didn't want any more tragedy's befalling the family. Likewise, their fear of this "curse" made the old patriarchs worried to the point that they required their grandson enroll under an alias.

"_We've agreed using my maternal grandfather's surname, correct?_"

"_Anything you say, Yana-chan. I like the name too, but it's just a surname. And please don't refer to him by that nickname Marguerite gave him; Kyon doesn't suit him._"

Yanagi remained with a loss of words when he said that. How he figured that before she even suggested it crept her out, but it was true. Taritsu wasn't a baby anymore, even when he was an infant he could already run around like a rambunctious toddler, which led to him crashing into a gong. The subsequent sound was comical and Marguerite- Baddack's late wife- associated it affectionately with his maternal middle name quickly. '_That woman and her word play. Classic._'

"_Riccardo_, I would appreciate it if you could inform your son of the responsibilities. He may be used to your secretive nature, but please make it clear what he's expecting."

"Sure thing, _mama_." Sedrick cleared his throat and began what his father forwarded to him. "Well... since you're going off into a private institute, this also means that we wouldn't see you until the school year goes on break. What we want for you is your safety, and to do that you'd first need to get a makeo~

Yanagi dug her elbow in his side, prompting him to yelp before he could finish. It was not tolerated when she heard her son's name and any suggestive connotations, especially when it concerned sexuality and any delicate topics. If there was anything she found Sedrick at fault for, it was his light-hearted approach on sexuality; easily having stemmed from not having a mother in his life, Sedrick would have never seen the boundaries between what was socially justified and what not with one's preferences in public. Closed doors were another matter.

"...your appearance, son." Waves of pain, and still on shortage of breath, Yanagi rolled the nearest chair for him to catch his breath while she elaborated. It was hard not to laugh as she saw him dressed with the suspenders he insisted were quite formal as they were vintage- not ancient. With those leather gloves, he looked as if her were about to pilot the plane himself, but fortunately that was not the case. '_No one would trust you piloting if they saw you like I have. That's why I'm the one who drives in public._'

"Obviously, this means I'd need you to trim your long hair. It'll only be a couple inches, and I promise you'll still look like one of the family." Honestly that last part was unnecessary, in Catalina's experience. Her knowledge of her husband's family was pretty solid, and part of the reason they all looked alike wasn't because of genetics. Of course, this meant that they didn't just chose wives from the same family heritage, since at times they'd be commoners, family friends, or neighboring princess; they each had a fraction of their family's fighting spirit, some stronger than others, and that somehow made them seem like Xerox generations.

With that said, Yanagi also propped a chair for him to sit, then proceeded to do the swift act herself. It amazed Catalina how talented her daughter-in-law could be, but she found the attention to detail even more amazing as the woman finished sculpting his hairdo. Some of it still protruded at the back, but it was properly finished, allowing good amount of tufts to hang over his nape and properly slicked back. Carefully, the mother produced a red cap with a white front over the bill like a car's windshield. Lastly, she placed his old glasses on him, to finish the look.

"_Moooo~om_. I don't need glasses anymore. My eye's already adjusted from the brightness."

She ignored the protest, understanding that although it was true, she didn't want risking her first-born's life. For all she knew, sleeper agents could exist within the institute, and it was for this reason that she was going to secretly enroll Charlotte or Paula later as well. For now, what she needed to do was determine his new identity. '_Kujo Nicky seems weak. Kujo's too strong of a surname for it, and Nicky may sound off putting to others._' "For the same reasons as you will be known under an alias, I am commanding you to wear them."

A deep breath let her know that he complied. She tried to inform him but the young teen was panicking over a small issue. "My project, where did I leave those scraps? I left them here somewhere."

Catalina stared, wide-eyed as her grandson searched everywhere in a blurry process- even having gone so far as to lift his father overhead while sitting in the chair. It seemed quite amusing seeing the boy in that state of panic, but it would hurt more if she kept the knowledge to herself. "_Mauri_. I found a pair of boots and scraps laying around on the table earlier. I wasn't sure what you wanted to do, but what I know was that the scraps were attempts at reverse engineering the material, no? If that is the case, then I may have solved your issue." With another box, she presented him a pair of shoes; essentially they were red laceless sneakers with a white stripe and gold buckles on the outer sides. There was also a fluffy cuff where the ankles would be, to maximize comfort. It was obvious the stitch work was none other than the grandmother.

"It looks better than I would have chosen." He stated gratefully as he noticed the cordwainer's work that cautiously assembled the synthetic material he had as an efficient extention of the original boots, then proceeded to hug the woman. "Thanks grandma."

The hug was short lived as Sedrick reminded them of the time, just as their family friend arrived. "Don't worry about packing, I already shipped what you needed. Also," Baddack handed the boy a medium sized crate. "That's a supply of food; Vasilis stated you'd need a special order of it, so use it sparingly." The man looked around as he was concerned of his daughter's whereabouts. Ultimately, he couldn't abandoned him to search for her so he finished up on the instructions the boy needed. "Where ever you land, make sure to call us or anyone on your contacts and give coordinates. The machine you made is ideal for comfort in any environment, as is the emissions ideal, but what capacity it holds is still awry for one to travel by. I really don't think biofuel can be made during flight, so make use of the ocean for algae, understand?"

He nodded, then headed over to store the crate in a secure spot. Not thinking much of the bundle of blankets, Taritsu placed the crate under the seats and started up his plane. Just as he was going to buckle down, his father quickly halted the take off to state the most crucial thing. "If you must know, we agreed on using _Kujo_ as your surname. The applications haven't been sent just yet, so the given name is still available for you to choose. So...want to take up on that offer?"

Eying his father warmly, Taritsu shook his head and stated otherwise. "Nah, but ask _nonna_. I'm sure since she choose your name, she'd choose a wonderful name for me." It was cheesy, but the suggestion made Sedrick smile and give his son an affectionate ruffle of his hair.

"Alright," his cap was placed down again by the kind father. "You should get at least 50 meters away from take off. It's powerful, so the propulsion emissions can burn on the way out."

"I understand." Sedrick left him a bag, with a note stating it was for later. The boy took one last look at his family, all seeing him depart but felt a bit sad as he hadn't said goodbye to Charlotte. That girl was troublesome with all the responsibilities she made him have to take, but he enjoyed her contributions and company. '_Ah well... at least I might meet some friends._'

* * *

At one in the afternoon, Taritsu was getting a lot hungrier since he chosen to wait out the meal his father was considerate enough to get for him. It was his favorite and he figured setting the plane on autopilot to lay back and rest. '_It's a good thing I read the rulebook for coding in school a while back. I was pretty sure I wouldn't have used that information as much until Dr. Wyle needed to program the AI. I wonder how it's faring right about now; last I remember, he said it needed to go under heavy simulations._'

For some time now, Weissman and Taritsu had been creating a complex battle unit capable of patrolling the land or handling invasions. It was Wyle's counter to Light's mass production models, and all seemed well for the android. The last details he remembered of the 170 cm statured AI was its gold lining over the black iron-aluminum alloy casting and fins on the helmet that appeared like a strike-ready cobra. As for the name the doctor was deciding on, he found it simple with the codename "Baroque" when Taritsu appealed that the first task of the AI system was to establish a name for itself.

For a while, Taritsu was alright with the jumbled mess on the furniture, but he soon grew suspicious as he smelled a familiar scent. Looking under the sheets, the two teens stared at one another as they were comprehending the situation. "I...better land before we pass my destination."

Seeing a suitable island, Taritsu lowered the plane and prepared for its transformation as it was going to dock on shore. Looking back, he saw Charlotte fiddling with her thumbs, simultaneously wondering whether to apologize or let the boy concentrate. "Actually Charlotte, I'm quite pleased at this predicament, but your father is rather worried. When we land, I'd have to call him to let him know. And please do me a favor and don't stray off too much; it'll just be a quick break and then I'm resuming the flight." '_Or I could have just sent Kakarotto and let him know that way.'_

"_Doesn't work that way, bro. Sis can only see me, and pops barely comprehends me at all, which isn't much better than the people who'd think you insane for speaking with a spirit. You're the exception though; somehow your senses allow you to interact with me._"

Taritsu used all his focus to not jerk his hands off the steering device, making sure his passenger would be safe at all times. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Hearing his conversation, Charlotte eyed the two boys as Taritsu unlocked the hatch door to exit on shore. He looked back at her while indicating to leave as he initiated refueling and unpacked the long distance mobile device given to him by Vasilis. Apparently the man had ordered a custom made cell phone and called it a "smart" phone, capable of many tasks through the devices applications. He said that one of the first few calls he would use it for included Vejita as he was one of his preprogramed contacts, but that hardly seemed logical as the older teen was back in Kairne. Nevertheless, he dialed anyway.

"~ello?"

'_That was fast!_' "Hey Vejita, I was told that I should give you a call when I land. I don't know why, but...call you later."

"What? WAIT! DON'T HAN~" His sentence abruptly ended while Taritsu started dialing his uncle to inform him of the startling news. It took a few rings, but it made through in the end.

"Kairne Environmental and Infrastructure Services. How may I be of service?"

"Err, Nora, is uncle Baddack out right now?"

"He's looking for his daughter," since Nora was a well-mannered person, she was trusted with their situation, as Taritsu had been interrogated a while back when teased for '_stealing_' every players' "game". She defended his name when they didn't listen to his statements of not wanting to indulge in such things, embarrassing as it were, but she wanted to know if he was really disinterested when they were alone. How no one could ignore her charm was a mystery, but Taritsu stayed strong until he noticed a few inconsistencies with the girl's excuses for her ever growing tardy issues, eventually deciding to handle it by confronting her father. From that point on, the school considered them an item until graduation, and she repaid her gratitude without complaint.

"Could you relay a message that I know where she is? I have to call my parents as well before they leave for another appointment."

"Actually, they're still here. I'll get your mother." Nora left for a few moments until the soft-yet-firm tone he recognized as his mothers come in auditory range. The woman was likely doing Baddack a favor with his legal documents, so obviously she was irritable at the interruption of her work.

"Didn't you think it was better to simply message me? Anyway, you have a minute, Kyousuke."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to take long. Charlotte happened to be sleeping inside when I took off."

She began screeching questions of the girls concern, making him visibly place his phone away from his ears and wait until she calmed down. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her."

"Kyousuke, this is a life we're talking about, not a specimen. Species come and go, but individual life is not the same. People are more emotionally engaged when it comes to individuals, especially if they're bonded by family love. The same occurs with owners caring too much for pets or livestock, so this isn't something I'm making up. Just...make sure she's alive and well. I'll make some corrections and have her enrolled as well since there is no time to turn back, but you're going to have to actively pretend she's male again."

"Why? Can't you just give her and alias and let her be? This isn't like back home."

"Of course I would, but considering you are both in the middle of the ocean and will be surrounded by a constant roster of possible enemies, I'd rather you put up with the discomfort of sharing a room with Charlotte than to let her vulnerable to any predators."

She made a good point, and Taritsu frowned at the phrase involving him. Although what she said was true, he also didn't like the idea of spending the nights with that of the opposite sex. Especially since the girl's personal schedule would interfere with his, he might catch her in an indecent situation sooner or later. "_Yare Yare_...only for a year."

"Good. Now tend to her needs and get started on the trip again." She heard the old doctor speaking through the line to what she supposed with the supportive party for their deal. Rutabaski and Sparks didn't have a strong relationship between them, as Sparks was always crossing new boundaries and Rutabaski kept to themselves and any willing group that willed motivation for assistance. Since the end of The First Rutabaski's rule, Sparks led the west as they handled the east, but to say they were enemies by the suggestion the two were from different cultures that didn't get along was absurd. It'd also be rude to contact them and demand that they work out a deal to benefit them both without any history between them, so Weissman cashed in a favor on their behalf. "Oh, and when you get there, look for someone named Sparks."

"Will do," Taritsu said as he looked around for his companion. He didn't notice yet by now, but the tropical island was roaming with small lizards of exotic origin. Mammals were dispersed here and there, but the reptiles outnumbered the ordinary looking mammals. Finally, he saw the bronze locks of her hair from a distance, crouched on her knees as she observed a stout-bodied mammal's behavior. Although he noticed that the mammal had quills and muzzle and legs of moderate length, he was far more interested in Charlotte than he let on. It was her flared-out style and matted blondish locks that intrigued him, still keeping a definite tomboyish demeanor that she let on with her hair styled in accordance of how Kakarotto's looked like, but in his opinion, she looked exponentially better with her style like it was now. She was more of a child than others would expect as Charlotte had experienced horrid situations, yet she had that worldly sense of maturity that he found compelling.

Wandering her warm grey eyes, she found cool green staring back and smiled at him. With child-like wonder, she exclaimed her findings. "There's a hedgehog over here."

Taritsu, baffled at her naivety, began walking towards her as he explained her incorrect assumption. "_Sharu_, this brown quilled mammal is an _Echinops telfairi_. It's a species of tenric, not a hedgehog."

However, Charlotte disagreed and insisted that she found a hedgehog. Either she was stubborn and ill-informed, or Taritsu could not distinguish it where it had been camouflaged on the decorative stones. Frustrated, he headed over to rest on the rocks, only to find himself assaulted by the blue furred hedgehog. He had never seen anything like it before; hedgehogs would hop short heights due to their stubby legs, but this one figured how to propel itself by rolling over the natural ramp provided by the stones.

"AARGH!" He immediately ducked his head from the dangerous projectile ball as it whizzed by; the reptiles that been eyeing the children scattered as their nemesis launched itself at them. They hadn't tasted the exotic flavor of Bipedal Simian meat for a long time, and any time there was any available, the Tyrant of Reptiles would beat them for disregarding their commandments. So obviously, the hedgehog that repeatedly foiled their hunt would not be tolerated this time around.

Kekekre

They both looked up to see a medium sized raptor transfixed on the two. Neither Charlotte nor Taritsu could comprehend how it was possible- dinosaurs were extinct!

Without alarming the hunter, Taritsu observed and calculated his choices. If he ran to distract the beast from Charlotte, it may call reinforcements and cause serious damage to her- and his speed didn't guarantee intimidating these reptiles. Whereas, had he chosen to bolt and carry Charlotte with him, serious repercussions such as whiplash could maim his companion. The only choice- battle it.

"Sharurotto!" Taritsu tossed her the chain whip, which in her distraction, the Raptor lunged after and slashed. It found itself with a rock in its mouth, which Taritsu promptly destroyed with his Hadou. Biting the dust, it only grew enraged, then began clicking.

'_Raptors don't click from what the archeological research hypothesizes. What the hell is this._' Twelve others leapt through the bushes, all lining up across a line and assessing their targets. It seemed illogical, but Taritsu could have sworn seeing them conversing with a series of clicks and hisses. Their leader seemed capable of incomprehensible speech, but the language system wouldn't matter if they didn't make it out alive. As a biologist, Taritsu didn't want to resort to his last measure, but seeing as Charlotte was immediately in danger, he'd have to. "Ha..."

They started spreading apart from one another, seeing the boy cup his hands, in wonder of what he was hiding. "...dou..." The energy ball he was forming crackled with bioelectricity as the concentration doubled in lethality, but he needed more to distribute it across to each of the thirteen raptors. "...KE~"

From the inland forestry, a rather large beast emerged; snout with its scars spreading past the edge of its lips, this new threat growled and began its long roar.

DRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH

It was powerful enough that Taritsu knew he would have been incapacitated by it alone; even with his ears covered he was still affected by the forcefulness of the sound as it made his cap fly off. Fortunately, his enemies were highly frightened by the large king of reptiles, and ran off before it could attack them for their betrayal.

Looking up, Taritsu noticed as the giant stared at him; its eyes seemed full of genuine emotion, as if it had reunited with an old friend or master. Even more, it gave reason to give it a chance as it turned back and left the two alone. However, that peaceful departure digressed into violent backlash as someone shot multiple electrified darts and a net tying around its legs.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" They found the perpetrator being a fairly built man. His right arm seemed injured, but that didn't keep him from operating the cannons. Accompanying him was none other than Vejita.

"Ahoy," he greeted the two as he secured the dinosaur in place and sedated it for the samples he needed. "...had I not done so, Brando would have attacked you. He has a tendency of whipping his tail against people under stress." He gave Taritsu and Charlotte a once over, eyed the bag she was carrying which was Taritsu's unfinished lunch, and the multiform vehicle Taritsu created. "Professor Thayne Carlson- Biology. Seems you made a fancy transport vehicle over there. Quinn will be glad to hear about that."

"Anyway," Carlson informed them where they came from and how fortunate they were to have a friend like Vejita look out for the two. He averted their glances as his cheeks burned from embarrassment of the "two" younger males looking at him, and saved face by calling Taritsu out for having forgotten to give coordinates. Fortunately, his father had placed a GPS tracking system on the smart phone if something like that were to happen, that way Vejita could easily find him thanks to his father's contingency plans. "...and its a good thing too; not many from the institute has the nerve to step on the shores of Brando island. Let's get situated and leave."

* * *

Taritsu placed the keys inside his pockets as he grabbed the luggage and had placed it where the workers would deliver to his room. According to what they informed him while checking in, he was to meet the Director- Amadeus F. Quinn- and receive his personal schedule. Charlotte also happened to luck out as they bought the story and believed her to be an androgynous boy. "Bifauxen," was the quiet murmuring one said as the other clicked their tongue finding their partner annoying.

On the way to the office, the teen heard the light-hearted commotion inside. He thought he heard who he assumed was the director, but he had another guest inside whom was probably not going to appreciate his imposing existence. "_...yes Anthony, but you have to agree that both of you may benefit from the program._"

'_This must be the Sparks kid mom told me about. Better enter now when I have a chance._'

Before the teen was one not much taller than himself, likely at 3 or so centimeters taller. The obvious features he could see was that Anthony had big hair that seemed two decades late. Additionally, there was bushy brows that Taritsu could faintly see under the bangs that hid them. The teen also seemed much older what not with his sideburns, especially with that unimpressed expression that he had. All in all, the experience was intimidating for the high achieving boy as he registered the other just as, or slightly superior to him.

"Ah, you must be Maurice; Johannes had sent me letters regarding of you, but to think that this is the first I've seen you in person." The man wore a sweater under his suit, complemented by a bowler hat. A prominent scar across his left side under his eye resembled that of his late father's.

He looked the teen over, noting the strong family resemblance trend that every Rutabaski male seemed to follow. With emerald eyes, and bluish dark hair, Amadeus immediately recognized him as the grandson of his childhood role model. In every way, he was the carbon copy, but also a paradox of fear, curiosity, and pride could be observed from the boy's eyes; that was this kid's problem- he lacked the everyday confidence for success, and Johannes was correct in stating that the boy would go isolate himself with studies and research, but there was more to that than it first seemed. Checking the special schedules he made, he reassured that their schedules would coincide with one another. '_Perfect. This way they'll learn from one another. Sparks shall learn the love of humanity, while Rutabaski will have a stronger self-esteem._'

"E-excuse me, sir, but I~

"Speak up, my boy. I apologize as my hearing is not as it used to be. Rest assure, your parents have emailed me, true, but I am also aware that you have doubts."

*dryly* "You can't be serious about this, Mr. Quinn. This boy can not be on par with me intellectually; he can barely even think straight. Just look at his trembling body!"

Taritsu's mind processed the information he received off the other boy and found his cohabitating friend speaking for him. "You're one to talk. Hiding emotions; your nonchalant tone doesn't hide the fact you find this beneath you." He clenched his jaw in hopes that the offense wasn't so severe, but the opposite was true.

As if it were alien, Anthony bellowed in laughter as he found his partner amusing. Tears welled in his eyes as he flicked them away. "Oh man. And my brother told me you had no social skills. I thought that the entire time I'd have to baby the imbecile, but your wit is as sharp as mine." Sparks eyed Taritsu in a more delicate way, assessing the boy for any details he ignored the first time around. It was necessary for him; Anthony Lance Sparks was a prodigy in memory and wit, where anything he would learn would have been dedicated to memory and thanks to that, he was able to deduce situations in mere seconds- a Sherlock scan if you will. In some ways, his brother's colleagues would speak of him as if he were the former CEO's true heir, but Anthony was not interested in any of what they proposed of him doing.

"Well, seems like we'll be together for some time. My names Anthony Lance Sparks, but there's a condition we're to follow under the contract."

"Ah, of course! Maurice, you do know that your family gave you an alias." He messed up on the pronounciation of his paternal middle name once more, but he now understood that was simply the way foreigners would pronounce it. "While both of you are here, you need to assume that identity, responding and developing proper roles. Both of you are incredible successors of your respective families, such that we can't risk the safety of either one. Sparks, I am sure you have already chosen a name before you've arrived: Jovanny Joakam. As for you, Rutabaski, the name I have read on the form states Kujo..."

He looked back into the screen to check again. "...Jotaro Kujo. A strong name, and fitting for your family ties with homage to your grandfathers." Anthony simply began laughing once more as Director Quinn had stated the name of a manga protagonist.

'_Nonna did a great job, but did she have to use a fictional name?_' "Well, I did know about '_Jotaro_', but '_Kujo_'... I really don't see what you're getting at, sir."

Calming down, Anthony did a fine job informing his naïve partner. " '_Kujo_', as in 'pain; anguish; suffering; hardship' and 'help; rescue; assistance'. It's about not standing by and helping others despite something eating at you. Honestly, why do you choose a badass name and not even know what the meaning of it is? Now I see what my brother meant."

"Well yes," Amadeus calmed the boy down from his cynical rambling. "I suggest you two get well acquainted for the next few years. Unlike the regular students my father's academy was meant for, he created this specific program for those with the highest potential, as well for preparation of future calamities. Here, take this handout and these, then you may head out in your respective ways."

Both teens received a handbook and a digital encyclopedia that they would use for their years enrolled in the institute. As they exited, Anthony casually told him to flip to a certain page while he recorded the boy's encyclopedia registration number.

"_Speedwagon's Expeditions for GenerationX Agency_. SEGA?" Anthony nodded. "But then, what's the regular academy called?"

"It's know as the Scientific Explorers and Governance Academy, but it's a branch from the International Science Foundation. All that means is that we'll have regulars around here looking to gain an education for on par with the most prestigious universities in the world. Looks like you and I will be working under SEGA for the next few years."


	13. Arc I Q&A

**Arc I Q&amp;A (Closed)  
**

**The 48 hour session is officially closed as it is now October 31st of 2015. I may have not received the majority of my questions online, but I have a clear idea of what I should be writing about thanks to some proofreaders of mine in real life. Without further ado, here is the list of questions and the answers I can provide.  
**

**1\. Who is everyone?**

I've received this one personally, as a reader had been confused by the opening chapter. Anyway, in the opening chapter, you are all exposed to the spirits of past heros that lived on the saiyan home world, all chosen by one deity, Kuukanos- The god of space. They are each related to one another as they share the same bloodline, and in the story, you are inroduced to their living relatives: the Rutabaski's. Additionally, there is their family friends, the Valognas, and the Pioneeris, who have been more or less out of touch over the last couple centuries, but they highly respect one another. An explanation about the Rutabaski family lineage can be found in Chapter 10 of Arc I, so there's no reason to reiterate what I written prior to this.

And Taritzu T. Rutabaski is actually a reincarnation of someone very important. Remember how Kuukanos couldn't see him?

**2\. Are they Saiyans or Humans?**

Believe it or not, they aren't saiyans, but not exactly humans either. One of the few things I wanted to address on Toriyama's plot holes is the whole "Saiyan-Human Hybrid" idea. In my story, the race still hasn't ended up like modern saiyans will in a couple centuries, but the genetics exist for it to happen. Some individuals (like Baddack) have a higher propensity of feral genes, making them adept in survival instincts, and is considered mutants to the rest of the population. Then there are normal individuals, who are much more suited for mental capacity and wise thinking, or in other words, extremely similar to humans and can be regarded as such. There is also a population that enjoys fighting and lives for the thrill of it, much like the blood-knights that Goku and the rest of the modern saiyans exhibit; this group also shares the trait that allows them to become supersaiyans. Lastly, a small population shares the propensity to manipulate energy, which is a rare gift left to them as it is exclusive to them only. In any case, the reason they are categorized as such is because their home world has been observed by a surviving four, god-like beings, from a previous universe- but more on that later.

**3\. Their home world, as you have written, is called Eudora. Should it be called Saiya if they will become Saiyans?**

Thank you for asking, and for an answer that you require...no, it doesn't need to be called Saiya. You see, in my story, four elders exist from a universe prior: _Celia, Zeta, Kalote, and Seiya_. Each of them correspond to a certain concept and aspect; Celia's would be wisdom, intelligence, and justice, and her symbol would be the bow and three-point-arrow, along with the sapphire moon. Zeta has a tendency to strike up conditions for battles and is highly conceited, as he always flaunts how he's stronger than anyone else, which he does not lie about; his concepts are in Tactics, Cunningness, and Glory, and his symbol is that of a gladiator.

Kalote is much more conservative and restrained, but pissing him off makes him a deadly foe. Despite considered a Feral beast, he represents protection, reliance, and freedom; however, thanks to his violent nature, he is associated with the sanguine moon. Seiya, regarded as their Great Mother, is the propagator of the Humanities. She's the one who balances the three with her addition of emotions, spirituality, and parental instincts. This allows them to associate her as the lady in white, and their spiritual guide; it is also the reason that- thanks to her teachings- those who can ascend into supersaiyans can control the power, and would considered themselves Seiya-jins.

An actual fifth being existed, but he hadn't survived the event that restarted the universe. However, he is alluded as The Father, The Noble Wolf, and The All Merciful- Fierce Deity. More on him would be looked into in the story.

**4\. What's their world history?**

You may have already noticed that it parallels with the modern world a bit, but differences are still evident. For example, the roman empire (Kairne, as it's the closest alternative in the story) did not conquer any lands since they haven't been civilized at all. Only until the tribes of Gaul (in the story, they come from Sagratia, the western hemisphere continents) tried expanding through the use of colonies did they organize for a united war. A key figure who was crucial to this was Firanze De Lupo, who had been recruiting enemy tribes by convincing them to give up their grudges, and they had been satisfied for all his sacrifices, that- instead of returning to hostility- they agreed to appoint him as their emperor. Additionally, organized religion did not take root in Kairne, so there wasn't Catholicism, but it did begin to spread nearly 1000 years later, when Sagratia and Kairne were openly trading goods and cultural benefits. Thanks to this, science wasn't as opposed when Xetsu had pushed the nation to adopting a mantra of Enlightenment, making them 400 years more advanced than our world history.

Unfortunately, that didn't last long as there was a world wide civil war that ruined their technology and had to start over from the bare essentials and knowledge they could retain. A few centuries later, early 20th century brought in a lot of advancements that coincide with our version of the 20th century. Country alliances were much the same, but an impending energy crisis was looming, and some of the world's super powers were criticizing Kairne for not sharing their resources- even going off to state that they were communists- which resulted in a political strife. This is where The Great War began, and although the alliances of Kairne were aggravated enough to participate, Kairne didn't engage at all until their moral leader was targeted and assassinated.

That left only the nephew, Tarique Rutabaski, to take arms and lead them into a "non-violent" approach that simply neutralized the enemy from harming any more lives. However, because of drastic uses of technology and various issues, the planet was subjected to a global flood, which had melted the glacial barriers which separated Sagratia and Pyrastrene (they take up the roles of US America and the USSR), making them awry of each other as what once had safely separated the two, was now missing. Because they didn't want another war outbreak, the two had experienced a cold war since the 20s until the late 70s/ early 80s (no second war existed). From then on, the rest of the 20th century more or less followed normally, with the exception that they could now produce programmable automatons, and are currently working on AIs since the mid 90s, and a global organization which all countries that participated in The Great War are apart of, referred to as "Allied Nations".

**5\. Why do the Rutabaski males look alike?**

Interesting question. The reason can't be genetics, since that's not how heredity works, but this is a work of fiction, so a work of fiction answer will be provided. It has to do with their family's fighting spirit (or guardian entity)- the same that is present in many shonen works. Exactly who's spirit it is...well, it's a bit of a conundrum since the way they receive it is in the form of a super empowering ritual (sort of how Guru gave Gohan and Krillin a power boost), or they perform a bequeathed power situation. In this case, the Rutabaski blood line received their fighting spirit from Xetsu Rutabaski, who in turn had been fortunate enough to be given the spirit of his ancestor- Firanze De Lupo- as a child, as it had been planned by Firanze and the Guardian of the planet.

**6\. Aren't they royals, because they seem to live like ordinary people.  
**

Well, when Xetsu was appointed as their new king after the revolution (1000 years after Kairne's unification), he didn't enjoy the palace life and wished to be alone, free of the responsibilities and paperwork he had to do. So, he established himself as a leader who gets things done via influence, a moral leader. This set up their government as a type of parliament, all chosen to report and document everything that was needed for the nation, then in turn had the Moral Leader choose what to do in times of crises. If anything, the Rutabaski lineage is regarded as their Champion, the paragon of how they should strive to be, and are incredibly kind towards anyone they come across. However, opposing nations that called out on Kairne being communist labeled them as "The Royal family" and it has been used interchangeably since.

The fact of the matter is, they aren't royals in the sense that they can have anything they want. Xetsu established this to not be the case, and merely allowed his descendants to live as upper-middle-class citizens if they wanted. He intended each of his successors to have humble backgrounds, and that still rings true for Tarique's case (he lived in a mansion- which was later rebuilt as the palace after the war).

**7\. Shouldn't Vegeta's family be the royal family?**

Again, there is no royal family in Kairne, only the Champion lineage. However, taking that Vegeta's lineage, the Pioneeris, has origins of their ancestor being the Leonardo Da Vinci of Xetsu's time, they had no ambition to take up the role. In fact, it's not what the Pioneeri family wants, but their ancestor's sibling lineage, Breigh-Tepes, who wanted to control society and one even rejected his humanity when he saw no other choice when his plans were cut short.

**8\. With all this stuff that Taritsu has, doesn't he have a story breaker element already? I wouldn't want to read a boring story.**

There is nothing bad about what he has. Taritsu, is an advanced version of a modern saiyan, and knowing this, the Guardian of the planet gave them a limiter on how much of his max power he could use. This means that he can safely live around everyone else without worry, and allows for training to happen naturally, but not at drastic rates that he's at a power level of 1 million by the time he's 15. Think of it as how Frieza has the set of forms to control his power, but in this case, Taritsu is gradually gaining control of it, with a minuscule of his percentage increase adding on to his top limit.

Also, because he's an advanced modern saiyan, he can easily understand a lot of information thanks to his senses, making inductive reasoning his first approach to anything he knows nothing about. Then there is his obsession with life science that may be annoying to some. Well... when you are an individual who can understand everything easily, thanks to your superior mind, being intrigued with life is natural. It's just a simple answer to a simple question he was asked in his childhood, and he became intrigued by it.

Lastly, how and why did Taritsu get accelerated abilities? Well, this one's a stretch, but he always had them; his inhibitor bracers were suppressing them, and the enzymes were used to activate them to express themselves stronger than the bracers can suppress, not actually enhancing him. Think of it as how Broly's legendary super saiyan abilities could still activate despite Paragus trying to restrain him- it's that simple.

So he isn't a story breaker, because there are some people much more superior to him, and the Tsufurus have his DNA, so they can pump out soldiers who are on par, if not more enhanced than he is. That is... if they can organize and decode everything that makes him the singularity at this point.

**9\. Why did you choose Charlotte over Kakarotto?**

Seeing as the story is labeled a "Goku and Vegeta" fic, you may expect them to be involved, but apparently that is not the case. Instead, I chose their ancestors to take the role, and Charlotte... she's an interesting twist. Charlotte also serves as a convenient character device. Also, _Sharurotto_ and _Kakarotto_; both have similar endings, and it is easy to simply change the first two syllables to result in a different person. This is what Baddack chose to do to protect his daughter and have her pass as male while cross dressing, since it's still similar, just not the exact same.

**10\. How does the personality time travel work? Additionally, why did they choose to do it this way?**

Don't ask me, I don't exactly know either. However, it's assumed to have the same functions as mental time travel. Also, they chose to do this because Taritzu's consciousness is someone very vital to the story, and they're constructing a method to keep him from harm. King stated that they had met before, just not in a direct sense, so there is a possibility that this is a planned event.

**11\. If you wrote in your story that the Sapphire-Sanguine/ Blue-Blood Lagoon Eclipse took place every 5000 years, does this mean that the story takes place that far back in time, or is there something else? **

No. Although I am ashamed by my younger self who didn't think ahead in the future long enough. Every 5000 years is true, but remember that the story is about "The Legendary Super Saiyan" a being without equal. If Broly were the same, he wouldn't have been defeated by Goku in the first place, nor anyone after that. That being said, the 5000 years clearly hasn't passed from then to Broly's birth. This story just takes place where it needs to take place.

**12\. 2000 years doesn't seem a lot for what takes place in the past. Exactly when does this take place on the DBZ timeline?**

Thank you for providing a criteria I can answer. Time travel and time loops are involved, so there is more to the history that you will find out. Also, the setting takes place a couple years before the Last Super Saiyan disappears for a 1000 years (3000 in the original). By the way, I believe that is where I got my infamous 5000 year difference between the current age and the past, since 2000 added with the 3000 year gap makes for 5000 years. Still, the year gap between the past and the current future (DBZ's current setting) in both my story and Toriyama's work is how it should be.

**13\. Will you incorporate new content that Toriyama has added to DBZ?**

Maybe. I was really disappointed by how the series turned out with the "Super Saiyan God" ritual and "Resurrection of F" story line. Honestly, I thought for ROF, the villains would make a wish to bring back Frieza, and they receive the one who succeeded to gain immortality on Namek and became the God of Destruction in his universe. Of course, I would have to, if I want to solve the plot inconsistencies, but there will be some that I wouldn't want to touch upon unless I have to.

**14\. I noticed that Tsufuru meants Tuffle. Does this mean that in your story, they are drifting around the universe without a home planet? Also why are they evil if the entirety of their race is supposed to be docile?**

They don't. Tsufuru-jins actually succeeded in intergalactic space travel, and want to learn everything about the universe. They still have a home world, and it is Plant, but they're not evil. However, docile is a misconception. They can be angry as anyone else, but the degree that they turn to (as Baby had in GT) is far worse than how "evil" is used in your question. My understanding is: a race which believes, wholeheartedly that they are doing the right thing without questioning their morality, is worse than being evil.

**15\. Since the main character has a female best friend, a childhood friend who's married with him, a female university colleague, and a maid that's living with them at his age, I'm guessing that this will turn out like a generic harem. If so, I'll drop the story right now. **

You may think that way, but this is actually going to be a deconstruction and reconstruction of that Genre. Remember, Taritsu's family is known for being morally correct in everything, even retracting things that their culture may have interpreted incorrectly if they had to. Besides, he can only truly choose one partner, unless he wants to support everyone else he has interactions with.

**16\. What's with them and the symbolism of the wolf? Also, morality... in saiyans?**

Rutabaski has parallels with the wolf because they have a high propensity to follow the fifth deity, which is why Seiya chose Xetsu as her Champion over the others. Additionally, Morality exists in the population because they haven't officially become the barbarous bunch of the aggressive saiyans from the modern age. The story will touch upon why that is so later.


	14. Chapter 14

**Arc II **

**Chapter 1**

**Yukinoshita**

* * *

**Universal Year 335 before Age (alternatively: 1918)**

_Through productivity and the pursuit of vast intellect, the community prospers. Decoding the mysteries of the universe and solving the truth that is life itself_—_this is the process in which we find mutual happiness and universal harmony._

"_That is the creed which we, the Tsufuru-jins, have followed for millennia, having just recently discovered the means to survive and expand our population outside our finite world._"

Various note-taking could be heard as the Director lectured his daily group of pupils on planet Colu, on behalf of their treaty with the Coluans for having collaborated with their project to solve the impending issue of overpopulation. Said solution was highly criticized, as the means to satisfy the requirements called for utilization of highly unstable processes that which was theorized to shrink molecules and mass by interacting with a parallel dimension. Of course, since it was their leader, the well-respected Scientist Supreme: Ovi Voreps, who as head of the project, didn't bother looking into future issues that could possibly befall.

Only one individual actively tried challenging Ovi's ethics: his nephew Julian Voreps. Said young man was his apprentice, and a well renown member of the community. However, the other members saw Julian's kindness and compassion as weakness, expendable even. Hell, Julian's twin brother: Ivo, even tried to make him the pariah of their society by savage, but that ended up backfiring on him when Julian found out how he was messing around with culture samples.

For that reason, they hadn't bothered listening to his warning of an impending mutated cerebral virus struck up by them messing around with the radiation from the parallel dimension that Ivo had exposed the culture to. With their populations dwindling, Ovi had to pay his debts to keep the two societies from resorting to mass genocide; in exchange for his life, the Coluans would allow their neighbor species to leave in peace, leading to another 65 years of drifting from solar system to solar system in suspended animation. At the time, the Tsufuru-jins were gradually becoming anxious of who was responsible for their exile, and so they planned to exact revenge on the Voreps family.

"_Had they tried other means, we wouldn't have been in this mess!_" The outcry stirred up a riled conversation.

"_I'm not so sure. I mean, Voreps has been the family who's kept us intellectually superior to every species we encounter. Getting rid of them now would simply kick us into a disadvantage,_" reminded another.

"_That Ivo's a demon, I tell ya. Greed 'nd spite full 'n the lad's eyes, seems like n'thing seems impossible for his path to conquest. We should handle him before he kills us all._" Spoke an old elder of two generations prior.

"_NO. THAT... is not how members of a civilized society would behave._" This time, it was a young male, not much older than a child to them (teenager by human standards), and speaking words beyond the wisdom of what Ovi Voreps had. This man...was Johnstonii, Arlo Johnstonii. Although none of his community members knew, Johnstonii was an advocate for Ivo's cause and what he believed in. However, in order to do so, he'd have to aid Ivo survive the execution they wanted to instigate by suggesting an alternative.

"_We can release him of his physical shell, and imprison Ivo for an extended period._" His proposal had many skeptics, but Arlo knew how to play with their minds. "_We're close to a suitable solar system, entering a planet that our ship's indicated as a prime hotspot of bio diversity. If we don't do this now, Ivo could very well use those resources and suck them dry before we have a chance of maintaining our population numbers again. I, for one, don't wish to have to resort to Dr. Mykota's mental extraction program in order to survive. It's bad enough, knowing how our senses are still connected to our minds even though the reports state that neither body nor consciousness were in the same room. Seems a lot like a prisoner's sentence to me._"

Arguably, he made a good point. They agreed unanimously that such resort to measures was a great idea, especially since it wouldn't sabotage their future if they simple got rid of one member of the Voreps family.

"_Yeah, I think Julian would make a good leader in the mean time._" A large murmur of agreement went around, but Arlo was neither with nor against their decisions...outright in the open.

'_Yes, but who's to say which of the two is Ivo?_'

* * *

**2005**

The day was like every other. As listless as she was from having to put up with her jealous fellow classmen, Stephanie couldn't exactly say she was having the time of her day when her mother found her laying—face towards the soft recesses of her comfortable queen sized bed. Exactly why her mother came was obvious to her; the routine was the same every time: she'd greet her warmly, ask about her day, then slyly shift into the topic of where she was going to attend for secondary school.

'_Why would I attend anywhere she recommends? All mother wants is for me to accept my engagement to Soren, but I..._' Her thoughts went towards the sweet generous boy from nine years ago. '_...that's right, we're espoused._' After he had left Chihaba, Stephanie was astounded by the realization of reading the definition of espoused. Although the thought of marrying at a young age was frightening, she felt peaceful having known that they have done so, even if neither knew what they were doing.

"Stephanie. You need to choose a school; you graduate in a month and the deadlines are coming up. So maybe you won't like the atmosphere of the Acadia Institute; they're prestigious, I know, but I guess you should take it down a notch."

Rolling over her bed covers, Stephanie stared into her mother's eyes. It was a wonder whether she was being considerate or really planning on informing Soren's parents of her decision. It seemed genuine enough concern was motivating Kaede, but that changed when she saw the silver memento her daughter had been attached to. It seemed to have suffered some damage, but not serious enough to need repairs as they were nothing more than scratches.

"Did they bother you again?"

"What do you mean, Okaasan?" She knew what her mother meant; like any good mother would know, they had the intuition of figuring whether their child was stressed over something. It was painfully obvious to Kaede that her youngest daughter was bullied again for that pendant she wore. And Stephanie knew exactly for what reasons too—she had been reading people's emotion filled thoughts lately—which she still considered them speaking ill of her. Fortunately, the thirteen year old shouldered the ordeal and kept to herself when ever the truth became obvious to her.

"You know what I mean. They figure that's a gift from your boyfriend, and naturally, since they see how close Soren is to you, they'd assume its from him."

"It isn't." Stephanie angrily spat. "That's only because of how he's friends with Clarinda. We just happen to have one degree of separation, so it's obvious I have to be kind to him while in school. If anything, we're just acquaintances, nothing more."

"Stephanie," Kaede began calmly, countering the negative feelings her daughter was riled up about. "They simply do not understand, and neither do I. But... if you insist that that boy is your boyfriend, then I must respect your wishes. Just so you know, if you spend all your youth chasing after a boy who may or may not exist at all, then it's just going to hurt when you realize—it's too late." She held her daughter's head with her hands under the 13 year old's cheeks.

"So please do yourself a favor and give Soren a chance."

"I can't exactly do that, Okaasan." It was the one thing she would not do. Anything else her mother ask, it was perfectly fine. After their travels to Sagratia, Kaede Chandler was more lenient on her daughters, but it was a mystery as to when that had begun. However, the sisters didn't mind her sudden increase in familial affection as it was what they had always wanted.

Sighing deeply, Kaede got up and went for the door. As she left, she told her daughter one last thing, "Whether you find me irritating or not, I will ensure that you have a perfectly safe future."

Groaning as her mother's grim words echoed in her mind, Stephanie got right back up and turned on her computer. She did her routine email check, then went to her favorite website. Today's top feature was of all the ordinary news people would be interested in, but the one that caught her attention the most was of a certain bluenette speedster. Seeing the blurry images people had caught of him, she found one in high definition, although his size made it a bit of a challenge to tell how he looked.

'_Sonikku..._' Reading the article, her fascination grew as the detailed accounts were similar to what she remembered of her childhood friend. Reading more into the story, she found out he was in Jesong, the same city her sister was two weeks ago. She wondered whether it were possible, and decided the best was to confirm it herself.

"_Hello?_"

The sound of Clarinda's voice was strained, as if she had been recovering from illness or something. Feeling bad, Stephanie did her best to sound less demanding than how she had played it out in her mind. "_Clari_, mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"_Go ahead. I don't mind at all._" She could manage with the call while she waited for her father's appointment with the _Kairne Environmental and Infrastructure Services _to finish up. Besides, she needed fresh air since the facility had recently been cleaning the workplace, so a lot of dust was still polluting the air.

"Well... when you were in Jesong, did you happen to see..._ Sonikku_?"

Brief silence hung between the two's conversation, until Clarinda recovered her memory of that day in a perfectly sound answer. "_Hoh? Does little sis have a crush on the superhero? Believe it or not, I happened to catch a conversation with him, until he went off and did what he needed to do. But yes, I did see him... why?_"

"It has to do with my suspicions." Now Clarinda was interested. Had her sister began recovering her memories from four years prior?

"_Ahh, so you believe this has something to do with having seen him in the past? Don't worry, it's true_."

"Oh... then he's the same one." '_Kyousuke's a superhero? But since when has he had the time to do that if he has school?_' "Clari, if you don't mind, can you somehow help me meet him?"

"_Sorry sis. He's been on the move lately. There's other things he's dedicated to, and that includes doing what all teenagers your age have to do. And shouldn't you be more concerned with high school entrance exams?_" It was a gamble; Clarinda knew how much security her mother had on the two, but it was out of her concern for the two. If Clarinda had deliberately told Stephanie the knowledge she knew, her mother would immediately reject the proposal.

"...that's the thing actually. I don't know where to apply."

"_Euphie, dear sweet Euphie. Look. I'll text you the top institutes known around the world, unless public recognition is what bothers you. How about I find you one overseas?_"

An overseas academy scared Stephanie. Her early middle school education took place overseas, and it was then that she learned how much people would pick on her for being an overachiever. "No, I'm fine with schools in the mainland. Tha~

"_So this school in the Srolst isles seem nice. Tropical and wonderful weather year-long. Says here that the typical years to completion is five, and it's on par with university education. There's also rumors that it trains heroes; in fact, they say an individual_—_there's no documentation of the legal name, but they refer to this one as Wall Crawler_—_aided in creating most of its programs, but that's mere speculation. What's far more certain is that the benefits you'd get are an early chance at being independent_—_since you'd get your degree just a few months after the legal marrying age. Heck, maybe the rumors are true and would even meet Sonikku yourself._"

She reconsidered her earlier statement and retracted it. A chance to see her beloved childhood friend? Why not? "Could I get more information on that?"

* * *

Everything was menial to Anthony while his partner was busy at his task. From the angle he was sitting at, he could see that the boy had a journal or a diary, written in the handwriting of The First Rutabaski. Considering as they had not properly gotten to know the other, and how might the boy benefit him, so Anthony saw it as the perfect moment to strike up a conversation.

"So... what feats have you accomplished?"

"_Eto?_" '_What are my accomplishments anyway? I haven't kept track..._' Having spent the majority of his childhood being a condescending know-it-all, Taritsu had kept a fine demeanor of laziness when it came to anything he saw routine. As such, despite being a fanatic of his favorite type of science, the boy had little knowledge of what he had done, other than specific accomplishments that involved someone he knew personally.

Looking at Anthony's nonchalant and half-drowsy eyes, he couldn't help but wonder if it'd matter telling him the best quality examples or just ordinary things he easily accomplished. '_Eh... doesn't seem like he'd mind either way._' "At age five: I learned swordsmanship, by seven: I graduated from primary~

"No, not that, you simpleton. I meant anything extraordinary, which makes people wish to be like you—or what sets you apart from everyone else. Any prodigy can do what you have done with proper dedication, but it takes breakthroughs—eureka moments—to draw the line between genius and people like us." He was getting at something.

"'_Us?_' What do you mean Anthony?"

"We—because of exceptional talents, skills, and achievements—are considered far greater than that of regular... humans—for lack of a better word." '_Likewise, I can't think of a perfect insult to use at the moment, but a majority of these idiots call themselves human while dehumanizing everyone else. Our binomial name may be derived from our ancestral species: H. Sapien Idaltu and the older H. Sapien Luminous, but that doesn't mean jack shit when they call themselves H. Sapiens._' It was common knowledge that the scientific community was divided upon the proper term for their species, but the most accepted was _H. Sapien Eudorus_, so it was imprudent to call themselves human when it encompassed every hominid in the natural world.

"However, because we are so admirable and dedicated to what we do, our friends and families fear that we may fall off the deep end at some point. This world is bitter, illogical, and all the less deserving of whatever these people whine about. They wish to save themselves from their situations, but can't give into the change needed. It is for that reason, that when people like us, the ones who seek the truth and aspire to gain more knowledge, that our close ones grow concerned at the thought of us losing ourselves. Honestly, I could care less about what they think; it isn't like changing my perspective wouldn't do anyone any favors. It's just a delayed punishment to themselves."

The boy spoke of worldly wisdom that philosophers and theologians would take decades to understand. From what he let on, Taritsu could see an illustration off the clues provided, but not entirely. For Anthony—had at a young age—saw his father walk out on them to protect innocent lives, causing the child to frantically search for solutions to that dilemma. The boy soon discovered that no matter what decisions or methods he could take as alternatives to the less desired, kept drilling into his mind that there must have been some way to save people without losing the lives of others, only to finally break when the realization came. '_Why do they not care? They see people suffer all around them, but do not stop and aid. They speak of grievances, but find themselves perfectly situated with loss of rights for a bit of security. This isn't a world deserving of my concern, as they don't wish to help themselves. Therefore_—_the best action_—_is to let them... suffer themselves._'

It was heartbreaking to know that Anthony had given up on the good qualities humanity had to offer, and that prompted him to keep all his intellectual gifts to himself. Hiding away in a storage room of his father's the child had grown up learning more and more of culture and philosophy, concepts and connections between topics, but found that they had nothing to offer in the modern world. The only known literature he appreciated that worked was the autobiography of Xetsu Rutabaski of the late 10th century C.E. from the letters he had written addressed to their founding ancestor: Johnathan Jonah Sparks. That man was incredibly wise, developing a moral society and having them lead themselves for ever self improvement, but society found ways to foil the best systems, choosing to follow what the Rutabaski Family found moral themselves, rather than being autonomous. This wasn't to say Kairne was corrupt, but rather it led to dark periods in history, such as the Retrogression War, that destroyed 600 years of progress as a result. Technically it was 400 years of advancements, since the Rutabaski family was able to recover 200 years from what they had lost, but it was still regarded as devastating.

"...so? From what you are telling me, we're paragons." Taritsu was doing his best to get his acquaintance to see it at a new angle. "Doesn't that imply that we're also the embodiment of what they strive for."

"You... don't get it do you..." He said in a monotone voice, making the teen jump at the automated response. "They hate you. Ordinary people are jealous of what you and I can do, for we're not out there solving their problems. Although in my case, I am constantly reminded of being the key instrument to change, with you they fear what you could do. That's why you haven't done much with your degree, correct? We're in the same boat, you and I, but where I choose to do nothing, you seek happiness." He went on mumbling, "_I envy you just as much as I pity you. Neither of us deserve this, but you can do better; maybe even help me in the process._"

"I'm sorry about what must be going through your mind every waking moment." Taritsu kept silent when his associate looked him in the eyes. Daggers seemed to aim right at him, so naturally he was intimidated, but a warm feeling emanated from them as well. "If you really want to know, I created a multi-purpose vehicle."

"Transformer?"

"Huh? No, not the sentient mechanical beings from the series. More of an ecology tour vehicle; say, like an all terrain vehicle, but literal in this sense."

"That's actually practical. It should make field work 80% faster, considering you made it run on biofuel."

"How did you know that I used Biofuel?" He never said that in the description, and Anthony didn't seem like a mind reader type.

Pointing at his forehead, Anthony reminded him. "I have powerful memory, allowing me to analyze clues and tics. From how your personality matches up, I assumed you care a _lot_ about the environment; the fact that you also have Doctorates in Biology and the life sciences just proves that there exists a degree of global awareness. Plus, you used '_ecology_', which means you are familiar with how delicate the ecosystem is." He said whilst briefly looking at the portable digital encyclopedia.

"...You really are something." Anthony had done a quick search on the web in a new tab, as he had been messing around with the idea of a video sharing website, to pull up the boy's listed resume from the scientific community, finding an interesting section that corrected a previous scientific belief. "You happened to have found an ancestral species more viable to ours than the _Homo Sapien Luminous_, didn't you."

_Homo Anthropoidus_, the simian man, was theorized to have lived near the age of the first emerging _H._ _Sapien Idaltus, _and definitely more likely than the Luminous species, with notable tail structures and larger skeletal structures, to have been the oldest known genetic ancestor. Most of the bone density was composed of collagen, as evident of the osseous bone tissue being incredibly resistant to fractures, and the boy had pointed out that the tail held a lymphatic system within it, giving it an advantage over predators. However, it was strange that the species died out; did it have health issues, or was their end guaranteed by behavioral issues?

"Yeah, and I was fortunate enough they couldn't debunk my findings, thanks to the tails that individuals still have around the world. I'm not sure why, but the east has a higher percentage of tailed beings who inherited the gene, but I wasn't able to get a proper gene sequence on it to test out my theory until recently. It is likely they cross-breeded with _Luminous_, just as some communities said_ Luminous_ cross-breeded with _Idaltus. _Perhaps a little of all of them may have been inherited amongst our numbers." He said the ending as he felt his phantom limb where his tail used to be. There was more to that anatomical structure that held their specie's mysteries, and he intended on finding out, even if he didn't have it anymore.

The room grew quiet once more before Taritsu asked him what he had accomplished.

"If you really want to know, I invented a Space-based interceptor system. I call it the ASADI." Seeing his counterpart scoot forward, he elaborated. "AeroSpace Attack and Defense Initiative. It's not really something I accomplished though, considering that I just made the blueprints for it and just have the concept. You on the other hand have both a Nobel-worthy winning invention, and added a new chapter to history." '_Knowing how people are motivated, they'd just take my project and weaponize it. Fuck you, society. All of you morons can rot in hell for all I care._'

"Really?" Nodding, Taritsu felt himself loving the acknowledgement he was getting. Seeing as the clock indicated the time was nearing their next event for the day, the boys stood up to leave, just as Charlotte opened the door as they went for it.

She looked between the two, then gave her friend a signal as she awaited for him to say something.

"Ah, Anthony! This is Kakarotto, my childhood friend. He's been enrolled with me and has been able to keep up with my league. Kakarotto was also the one helped me construct the Tour Vehicle, so without him I wouldn't have done much as I owe just as much credit to him that you've given me."

A couple seconds passed as the teen stared at Charlotte, almost as if he knew something was up. It was such a frightening stare that Charlotte wanted to hide behind her brother's friend rather than the nervous laughter she was only capable at the moment. Those unimpressed and bored eyes were seemingly demanding her to confess, but fortunately he quickly found the poor girl approvable. "Well... we're all geniuses here. Is he also aware what we're supposed to do?"

"Yeah, Director Quinn did say that he wanted us to attend orientation right about now. The session is shorter than what others are getting, so we should be free in less than an hour. Catch you after for dinner?"

He agreed, and went on ahead, leaving the two to speak since they first arrived. Finally, Charlotte let out her held breath.

"Uhh, _Sharu_. Has everything been alright? I know you don't have proper clothing, but is wearing mine alright with you? You know I could buy you your own set, I don't mind."

Said girl was wearing a red tee and had her hair combed into the pointed style which made one disregard any thoughts that she was female. The opposite effect was taking place with Taritsu as he knew seeing her cross-dressing just made her seem all the more...alluring. Shaking away the perverted fantasies, he assured himself that Charlotte was simply a guest of his, and didn't need to pay him back for any favors. Besides, he knew from the teachings of his parents that it wasn't correct, and he certainly didn't have any interest in seeing her in such a sensitive manner, as he had knowledge that usually—males in the mammal criterion—would require that he'd have to settle down to protect a female mate. The thought of having to do that himself scared him, so he made sure never to interpret the female thought processes and advances that might be directed at him for his protection and freedom of responsibility.

"It's alright, really. But I would like you to help me with something."

"Yeah, so what is it?"

"Come with me and I'll show you," she boldly said and grabbed his hand. Seconds later, she grew beat red at the realization. "Please don't take it the wrong way."

'_I don't think someone as innocent as Charlotte could ever mean something she wouldn't want._' Finally reaching their dorm, she lead him in and left him waiting while she got the small cardboard box that served as a home for the third roommate. Hearing huffs and growling, Taritsu couldn't believe that she had the exotic animal from the island.

"_Sharu_, you didn't~

"He was hungry and happened to find your lunch bag as a safe place. I couldn't just leave Sonic the Hedgehog on that dangerous island." Was her interruption as she petted the blue hedgehog's quills. It made another clicking noise in response, and Charlotte complied by feeding it what scraps of food she could get from the kitchen.

'_Sonic... the Hedgehog... ah! I get it. Just what was this girl thinking this time?_' "_Sharu_, a hedgehog can't live on people food; that would kill it. There are many variables that one has to account for, and just giving it sustenance doesn't make up for the nutrients it needs, on top of the need for exercise. You're going to have to return it back to its home."

Seeing as she was staying by her decision, Taritsu had to second think what could be done and eventually gave into the girl when she began to pout. '_I guess I'd also like to find out what Hedgehogs need as well. There's a lack of information in the database, so this can be the first of my research projects._' "Fine, but you'll need to get me the following items in the mean time..."

* * *

Waking in the mornings was a daily routine for Stephanie as she had begun her application to SEGA academy of ISF. Although she was accepted, they still required that her parents sign, and seeing as her father was not available, meant she had to ask her mother. At first, she tried to sneak around this by having a false template over the application, but found taping the papers together was too obvious of forgery. Not wanting to sign their signatures either, she tried to get her father to send a letter of recommendation, but he stated that "as much as I appreciate letting me know, I'd gladly do it, but your mother shouldn't be kept in the dark".

Now with nothing to excuse her own sneaky tactics, Stephanie steeled herself for what she was about to do. "Okaasan, I have the documents for you. Father has approved, and I want you to sign them." Anticipating the worse, her mother merely smiled and gave her a doting poke on her nose as she took the papers.

"I'll have it ready for you soon. Since this does say the location is overseas, I should remind you to pack luggage." Her daughter nodded and went on while she kept reading further into the documents. Finding a certain field intriguing, she called her back. "I've found this section on '_choice of Alias_' something rather resourceful. Hmm, it says that you'd need a reason and list of any accomplishments to do so." She recalled a few instances where her daughter was at a disadvantage because of her household name. However, she couldn't exactly list anything noteworthy.

"You could state that I am a researcher." She said on a whim, only to double take and look to the floor in shame.

'_Her teachers did say that Stephanie was prestigious and much more capable than others under stressful situations. She did formulate and lead the school council, even if it was the vice-president role._' "All right, but keep an eye out for any news of whether there's something else for you to do."

"_Hai, Okaasan._" On a whim, she added what she wanted for the name she would go under. "Could you please write me down as Euphemia Yukinoshita?"

"Why, what ever lead you to choose such a horrible name?" '_Under the snow_' didn't seem much appealing to Kaede, but her daughter seemed fond of it, and it didn't have any ties with Chandler in any way. Still... "Fine. Just don't make it your legal name in the future. I'd rather my daughter stay a virgin with the Chandler name, than having rejected her family and start her own."

"_Okaasaan!_ I would never." Her cheeks flushed, she ran out of the room and started on her luggage right away.

* * *

"...yes, I know you have sent the documents. You don't say?" Director Amadeus Quinn was hastily working through a phone conference with one of the incoming student's parents. As far as his assistant was concern, the adolescent caught wind of the name 'Chandler' being thrown around before Quinn finished up. Flamesque hair heading skywards, Vejita carefully arranged the documents as he was told before storing them where it was appropriate. For now, his father had him assist Quinn Sr. while the clown was getting himself acquainted with the place. He couldn't complain though; the pay was good and he certainly didn't expect the vast resources they provided. In fact, Director Quinn had even asked if he could act as the boy's leader of a makeshift team they were assembling.

Finally off the phone, Amadeus spoke to him. "Thank you, Vejita. As you know, I have many new candidates to sort through, each with their backgrounds having potential. Your friend is a special case, such is the same with the others who will be with him."

"Others? How many do you expect?" If the team was too large, it would mean more effort and attention would have to implement towards the group, thinning out his mental energy to just get them silent.

"Just a couple. Rutabaski and Sparks is the first two, and I am expecting the Blakes child to arrive any moment now."

Blakes was the name of BALM's leading scientists couple, and what made them different from the norm was that the pair were responsible for soldier performance augmentations. If their child were anything like them, Vejita would have more trouble than it was worth, especially if that kid happened to be physically superior to him. He knew all too well that having to catch up with the Rutabaski primogeniture was already one of his motivations that bit at the back of his heels, so stoking the fire with a community of individuals like him would be sadism. A knock on the door signified the new arrival.

"Director. Henry has arrived as you asked."

This kid wasn't like Vejita imagined; he wasn't conniving, conceited, or plain craven. Henry Blakes was an average kid, didn't seem much out of place physically or by aura of haughtiness, rather he held modesty—like he was pacified by someone. Either that or...

"Afternoon, Director Quinn. If I may ask, why did you need me to join?"

'_They know each other!_'

"Henry, the reason for your presence is that I need a mediator—in a sense. Since you are the walking example of your parent's work, I figured you were more than capable if push comes to shove."

"So I basically have to step in? I guess I can do that."

Amadeus sighed. Since his parents were abducted, the next in charge of their child was him, as stated in their will. Mr. and Mrs. Blakes used to be Quinn's apprentices, and as their father figure, they trusted him with their son. "The fundamental factor in all this includes you being on the team. Remember that it is the very fact that you can manipulate energy [to an extent] that your parents entrusted me; since you've been the one training with it the longest, I would believe it's best that you guide the two. Vejita here will help keep them in line as well, but your role is a mediator, along as the reference."

"Sure, I can do that." He said with ease. "But you do have to remember I haven't gotten much better than the basics you've informed me of."

"That's perfectly fine. It just means you can apply efficiently into any situation, rather than deploy advance techniques. I don't expect the group to master manipulation of energy within the year, with what the lack of proper mentors and leading innovators, but I do acknowledge that none of the boys—excluding Vejita—know how to properly use their powers."

"If you don't mind, what is their prime abilities? Is the Rutabaski boy anything like Juliano Marzo, when he was young?"

A moment passed before Quinn answered what he knew. Indeed, Taritsu did share his great grandfather's fascination in science, but he wasn't as dedicated to it as he remembered the man being. It would be hard to coordinate a rogue team like this without a proper mentor or guidance, so he had to make do by relying on their intellect.

"Acceleration and Hyper-competence. Also, no... but he does share his fascination of the world."

"Alright, I guess I can work with that. By the way, what's _Acceleration_ in this context? I thought that was a force, not a power."

"It's a truncation for 'Biological System Acceleration'; the kid's entire body is able to process things faster than the average being, more so than how he originally was. Under extreme cases of stress, I've seen him first hand return twice as powerful, run exponentially faster than a star athlete, and wields enough stamina to go days without sleep if he stubbornly wanted; healing is also extreme, but not too far into extreme levels, like complete disease immunity from what samples they've tested. At any case, both share incredibly powerful minds, but it's applied through different means—as their profiles indicate. As for energy manipulation, both the boy and I were trained for nearly a year. We should fare well for now, at the very least."

Amadeus agreed, while Henry figured he had his work cut out for him. So long as this Vejita was well informed and knew what he was doing, the amateur team shouldn't find itself in too much problems.

* * *

"...And that should do it."

A semi-professional habitat resided near the back corner where anyone entering the room could not see unless explicitly searching for it. Consisting of all the spare pans and plastic containers they can find, along with an old aquarium from the Biology department, the two watched proudly at their work. It seemed the hedgehog approved the habitat as it was already rolling around the set area as if it were a play zone, bringing cheery giggles to Charlotte as she watched the mammal.

'_Guess she likes the idea of a pet._' Taritsu placed his hands behind his head, stretching the tense muscles from lack of rigorous movement he was used to. Yawning deeply, he turned to leave, just before Charlotte thanked him for his time.

"Don't mention it, little buddy. I'm going off to dinner, so you can join if you'd like." His reply, being automatic, did not catch the appreciation she had towards the boy. It frustrated Charlotte thinking of her as just part of his family, treating her like she were the male gender. It—at times—made her question whether he was being nice because she was honestly someone he deeply cared for, or did it because he respected her father and brothers so much, to the point that he didn't mind her sleeping in the same room as he would protest—had it been a stranger. '_No. If he did, he wouldn't be awkward around normal girls. I guess it's because he doesn't see a common ground between them that he's uncomfortable; why else would he have respect for Nora, or treat me like he does?_'

She scolded herself, realizing that she was judging him for lacking in certain areas for her convenience. True, it would be nice to have her treat her as her own person, but Taritsu was too bothered and accustomed to thinking her as a male, that he didn't do so. Additionally, Vejita did say once that he wasn't interested in girls when she asked why he was frustrated that time he picked the boy up from the university, so she figured that he probably saw the female gender as an unknown. '_Maybe I should ask him... or perhaps not._'

She watched him while he was concerned with how Quinn had structured his daily routines for the year. Would he attend courses like any other teen his age, or get freedoms and mess arou~ be productive in a pleasurable way?

The weeks went by as the fall term neared. Sleeping arrangements were weird with Charlotte around, but they managed to refrain from imposing on the other, and usually Charlotte woke up earlier and left him notes of what she went to do. It really didn't matter much as his mornings were busy anyway; during this time, he was either in a seminar that basically was review about the institute and an assessment of his skills. In any case, not many instructors found they had what it took to take him in their classes for the first year, and those who did were reminded that the boy knew more than them at their corresponding subject. For this matter, it seemed they would be assigning him as a faculty member, until one volunteer offered her services.

This recent graduate was rather unaware, as it seems, when she heard of Taritsu's case. Thinking that he was a smart mouth, she took the role as his counselor, which she took rather whimsically. Within the first few moments around her, Taritsu soon found out how quirky the young woman was, had a few bad habits that were rather endearing, but did have this mannish tendency of taking things head on. Overall, those were easily overlooked as he soon found out how sensitive she was about her age, and how she appreciated the lab coat look that she currently was in.

Actually, the lab coat was what caught his attention the most. It had this odd resemblance to a set he'd seen before, back when he was in primary school. Even if he wanted to ask, he couldn't for it would had been rude, but he couldn't help but pay attention to it.

"Are you really sure I need to be in your homeroom, Shizuka...—sensei?"

It was insistence on her part that he call her by the first name, which seemed disrespectful as she was of his mother's culture where formality was key. Her entire name was Shizuka Velarde, and she would always have this finicky need for him to call her Shizuka, as if this wasn't the first time they had met. In fact, thinking about it thoroughly, he swore she resembled someone he saw when he was younger, specifically in primary school, but~

"_Jotaro-san_. I'd let you know when you may leave. As your counselor, my responsibilities are to assist you. This is all part of the program your family signed you up for, even if you already have credentials. Tell you what, if you behave I'd let you skip classes from time to time to do whatever you find better than this alternative."

He almost fell for it, but saved himself with a quick question. "Sure, but what I really want to know is who I am sharing homeroom with. If it turns out someone rather enlightening is here, I'd rather stay."

'_Figured he'd say that. Guess he isn't any different no matter what reality he's in._' "As of now, my roster counts 25 students: some are average overachievers, others are gifted and don't know much of what to expect. I heard there was a certain case of another who applied for the Alias program like yourself coming into my class, so I guess that could count for something."

*Baffled* "You can't be serious; with such an uncaring regard for other's privacies, how are you my counselor?"

"I'm the only one capable of really getting to know you, honestly." She then gave him a wink, which he could not reply from the realization it would serve her benefit. It was either sexual harassment, or plain noncompliance. He chose the latter. "Then again, I remembered the director emailing me this morning that I'd also take your friend in my homeroom. Jovanny wasn't it? For goodness sake, did you two coordinate the Aliases together; it'll be a cold day in hell if I don't hear multiple cases of communication misunderstandings with so many teens calling you two '_Jojo_'. I blame the fan girls that will escalate things."

Getting up, a wicked little thought turned up as she found the perfect way to assess how things would turn up for them. "Say, let's make a little bet, shall we?"

"Sorry, I don't engage in activities where people are at clear disadvantages for financial profit."

"Ah, come on. Just a friendly bet. Winner is treated by lunch."

'_If we're not risking something, why call it a bet in the first place?_' "Alright. But I'd warn you; I tend to eat more calories than you'd expect."

"You are a growing boy either way, there's nothing wrong with that." Shizuka then plopped a rather large course book and flipped to a certain page that she remembered writing down before. Knowing that he wouldn't take shortcuts, especially with what she had in mind, the young woman could practically see it now. "I've happened to come across this online."

Reading the written notes, Taritsu's attention was fully engaged with the concept. A certain biological project that involved creating a diversity of species for specialization and survive the harsh conditions of the messed up environment, which they would maintain in an orderly condition. He would see to it that it'd get done, then probably fix what problems are beating down on his family, relieving them of any stressed load they had over the matter. "You sure this isn't a ploy to get me to make pocket monsters?"

She immediately denied that. "The requirements just ask that you address that issue, but if you'd like you can design it after the fictional creatures. I for one wouldn't mind having a Charizard around." She then inched closer to him, revealing a couple hints that she knew. "_I hear Brando Island has enough genetic diversity to work with as templates._"

He backed away, staring into the woman's purple eyes. She had some nerve to give him cheats. "As much as I appreciate it, as a Biologist I can not genetically modify organisms on a whim. That would take years, let alone needing the finances for the expensive equipment."

"Well then, I'd guess you'd need to find other means. Maybe a fast acting agent could help with development."

"Maybe," He thought about what she said, but the frown he had disappeared as he found her look too friendly and anticipating—like a child would expect from their father. "But for now I have to get better clothes." His clothes served as a reminder that he had grown an impressive six inches over the course of two months, which also happened to coincide with Anthony's height altering in a similar quantity. While he had less than what he had anticipated for, at least now his grandmother's gift would fit, although it was baggy since there was still more room to fill out.

Without wasting a moment, Shizuka handed him a spare lab coat that she kept in the closet. Having it in his hands, he could see the insignia from the very same institute he was reminded of. "_Eto... Shizuka_. You attended Ravenwood Technical?"

She paused for a split second as she was about to respond. Noticing that she had forgotten that she still had that lab coat with her, Shizuka internally berated herself for not updating her inventory. Thinking quickly so as to avoid any suspicion, she played along. "Yes, ten years ago in fact. Graduated top of my class and took classes in Golden Sierra University."

"No way. You've got to be kidding me?" His reason for being awestruck was of a simple matter. His counselor, Shizuka Velarde, had attended the same schools he had, and be it fate or coincidence, happened to meet this amazing Alumna. "This means I look up to you. Man, I didn't think I was heading into a journeyed path, but I guess you beat me to it."

Shizuka simply smiled out of a nervous tic. Now that she had led him to believe such a fact, she'd have to make it believable. '_I just so hope his mother does not interrogate me later on. I can't risk my mission so early into the timeline._'

* * *

Revving of the engine across the ocean waves, a small group of incoming freshmen were already in the process of acquainting with the academy dorms. Among them was the Chandler girl, who by this time now went by her chosen alias: Euphemia Yukinoshita.

Since the institute had accepted her into their system, they organized her to room with someone compatible. The informative notification stated her roommate was supposed to already checked in, but the room was bare. Did she walk into the wrong room, or was she...

"Excuse me? I'm looking for room 109, building F." The owner was a pink haired girl who's noticeable features were the red hair band and her bob cut. From what Stephanie could tell, she wasn't very bright, so it was strange seeing that the girl was in such a high ranked academy.

Closing the door behind her just enough, she revealed what her roommate was looking for. "And this _is_ building F, so don't worry too much about it." Had the pink-haired girl gone off, she may have entered the male dorms, and that would have been a disaster. However, it seems the girl was actually incredibly under prepared, once Stephanie noticed how much of her luggage was with her. Just a purse and a backpack, nothing more.

"My name's Amy by the way. Amy Raisa, from Bukreyevka."

'_A pyrastrenean? This academy doesn't discriminate anyone; then I guess there must be something else about her._' "Euphemia Yukinoshita, from Kosuto."

"The Boruvian mainland?" Her eyes were sparkling when she realized that. As everyone had learned of the tales, Kosuto was Boruvia's capital island, and it served as the host of many visitors. The surrounding islands were visited too, but Kosuto was where people enjoyed being the most. For what reason, she didn't know, but Stephanie acknowledge that it was perhaps the peaceful territory and low crime rates that attracted them the most of the other provinces.

Answering her, Stephanie inquired as to why the girl had not confirmed her room location earlier.

"That's easy. Check your application status and you'll see."

Doing as suggested, Stephanie went through the process and pulled up a tab with her application. On the status criteria, it read '_conditional: screening required_'. "You mean to tell me that I have to pass an exam?" Once she arrived, the girl expected to rest for the remainder of her day, but apparently that wasn't an option. The status had a link that showed her the location of where she needed to go, and once Amy saw it, she exclaimed that Stephanie was lucky.

"Looks like you have a smaller group. I had to get my session done early, but this one is private. See this here?" The chandler girl watched as her roommate informed her of the private sessions, which only were available to a select few. It made Stephanie wonder what her mother had done when sending the forms. "You should get there now; it may have no lines, but private sessions are temporary."

Nodding, she thanked her and almost left with all her belongings, returning with a smile sheepishly at the recollection of her still having the luggage. "Thanks again, Amy."

Passing through the halls, Stephanie counted down each door as the current area hadn't any indications of room numbers. She thought that a wrong turn must have taken place a few halls back, but looking at the map she was still on the correct path. Without looking, she bumped into a boy carrying out boxes for his counselor, as he obtained an old storage room as his temporary lab. Looking up, she mistaken his lab coat and glasses as indicators of a faculty member. Being 5'8" compared to her 5'2.5" factored into the assumption as well.

"Hey, Jotaro, don't slack off." Warned his passing advisor, as she eyed the fallen girl. Eyes, widening, the odds of them meeting each other so soon alarmed the young adult as she initiated the secret algorithm. While determining that, the two teens had already began interacting, much to her horror.

"Sorry about that. Did you need to get somewhere?" Helping her up, he could see notable features which had alerted his memory, with the raven black hair, bright eyes, and the silver chain he caught a glimpse of. Without saying another word, Taritsu awaited in satisfaction that he randomly encountered her again, but scolded himself as she did not reciprocate seeing as he wasn't recognizable without his childhood hair and the gold memento.

"I did actually have an appointment for screening. The map stated that it's a little ways from here, but I can't tell where exactly without room plaques."

"I see." He said, rather coldly than what he wanted to say. In regards to what Shizuka was doing, his cohabitant was rather uneasy with having her around at the moment. "Do you at least know what the room is called?"

"Unfortunately I haven't gotten much information at all; for all I know, they are probably closed by now."

Coming out of her daze, Shizuka finally knew which events were needed to trigger a stable outcome. With that, she freely took the situation from there, hoping to keep interactions between the two a minimum before anything unfavorable could happen. "A private screening wasn't it? Come with me."

Leading her away, Anthony walked over as he emerged from the library. He had found good literature that he would read in his leisure, but the main reason for spending most of his time there lately was for historical records on what Quinn told them to develop. "I can't do much with the research materials they have at the library. If we had access to my computer back home, we'd get this done effectively. By the way, what you call _Hadou_ is basically known as Ki, so we may have to visit an expert on that."

Taritsu thought about it as he finished clearing up the storage room, then settled on that invitation Tarres had given the three when they completed training. For one, the man allowed them to train as they had potential in wielding the power, so there was an off chance that Anthony may not have such potential at all. "Say, Anthony."

"Yes, I do have the potential, Rutabaski."

"You could call me by my first name you know." He didn't question how or why the teen knew, for all that needed to be was known by now. What he did wonder was in what way Anthony had known he could do what he had practiced for months. Did he somehow have an underlying ability like his own.

"Doesn't matter much. This is the professional life, which includes getting things done—effectively, with no feelings attached. As for what you're wondering right about now...let's just say I have something ordinarily athletes strive for."

"Extended Lung Capacity?"

"No, I can manipulate my respiratory system." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. As far as Anthony knew, his lungs were able to contain a large capacity of air, which meant constant gas exchange and stronger resistance to respiratory ailments. In addition, it was the reason he could casually utilize his mind to the fullest extent as the ever constant supply of oxygen was what augmented his biology. In fact, part of the reason he knew that this was the case happened to be from the time his brother had scanned him for any medical problems, only to find out he had a reinforced body. A few more tests were run soon after, and then Anthony was asked if he would be so kind to run a field test. As it turned out, they discovered his attacks were subtly laced with energy.

"That's actually critical when utilizing _Hadou_."

"Ki," he interjected, with more belligerence.

"Whatever." They would have to ask permission for a temporary leave, but the only way was to personally ask Director Quinn, and he was busy filing the paperwork for the upper classmen at the moment. "Just don't worry about it so much. I know where we can learn more about Ki."

"You can't. There's a difference between learning and training. You may have the training, and that makes our work half finished, but what we need is information. What is the components of Ki, how does one utilize it, is there limitations to the practicality, what kind of techniques exist, and in what context is it best to perform the techniques?" He raised a valid point, but it seemed as they were talking about two entirely different conversations.

Some things just had to be explored to satisfy one's thirst for knowledge, and for the first time in his life, Taritsu recognized that this was how he was with his friends too, to an extent anyway. For now, they just had to take the evening off, as the first official day of school started the upcoming morning. He just wondered whether or not what his family got him into was worth it though.


	15. Chapter 15

**Arc II**

**Chapter 2**

**Bad Company Part one**

* * *

_Since the start of my journey into the kingdom of the skies and the primordial temples hidden throughout, I have come to learn what our ancestors strived for. It seems history repeats itself, with struggles for power, and energy races that weaponizes what should be docile. From what Terava has taught me_—_my sentient blade and trusted servant that claims I am the one_—_is that the motivations of mass populations are the greatest to fear, and she is right. I can not say more than that of which she has revealed to me at this time, but what can be revealed is that two things are to always stay aware of: the struggle for power is that of who has control, that who doesn't lose to themselves by anger or fear, and know that the strongest will not always be the one in control, for what better is it to have jurisdiction if you are manipulated yourself?_

"What's this Altair?"

"...That's my diary. What else would he be reading?"

From the realm of Overspace, the guardian syndicates known to be chosen conduits of the Spatial Deity, Kuukanos, were entertained by their master's newest creation. That of whom they knew as Suzaku was a strange one; born with much more potential instilled then they have, and wielding the consciousness of their future generation descendant, they began wondering if this was a mistake. Of course, none of them wanted to admit it; Suzaku was naive compared to how they were, and it was only thanks to the consciousness that they sent back that the boy completed several key events. Then again, how the descendant handled things was strange to them; awfully similar to an agitated and lethargic Kuukanos—when he was younger—as Elder had informed them.

"Ah. My life brother's codex was practically the same to you. You're helping him out through the knowledge gained by the apple." Aquilus was the famous Emperor of Kairne from 2,000 years prior to the current age, and one of the first Kuukanos had chosen to act on behalf of his will. His life was full of turmoil, but that was just as the blood-knight noble savage came to enjoy the rough life; he never did enjoy the proper clothing that indicated class when he was alive either—choosing to don a complete green kilt that would incorporate into later years as part of his uniform instead.

"That apple sucks." Spoke an older individual. To everyone else, this one had been in Overspace the longest, and they only knew him as Elder. Unlike the trend Aquilus and the others had from passing down their family's fighting spirit in their lifetime, Elder was vastly different. For one, his appearance was that of a muscular body and covered in monkey fur. Additionally, the man was incredibly violent if you got on his temper, so the only way to coax him was to knock him out. Lastly, he looked a lot like an ancestor of Aquilus than anyone else, especially since Elder claimed to have descendants in the Ordre and Mores family (the very same that becomes Valogna and Rutabaski respectively).

"And why is that, Elder?" This time, Apus, the champion known as Set of the Sands—Seth Rutabaski, spoke from his usual silence. Normally, the Prophet King of Falyen would not bother with conversations—as he was very passionate over the matters with his wife during his time alive. Nor did things go well when he spoke, since people would have a tendency to ignore his warnings which he had through dreams—which meant he had to get things done rather than speak.

"They caused a grand war during my time. Everyone wanted the knowledge, much like everyone did in both Firanze and Xetsu's time." He spoke, clearly unamused by the title Kuukanos had given them based on their lifetime and preference. That orb is mere scrap compared to the omnipotence of one being that I knew." He got up and left, having turned up a memory from his time alive. "_Zataraius didn't need an apple to achieve victory, like that which the Colonizers of Kairne and the Templers resorted to rely for their goals. He was his own weapon, and his name alone struck fear in everyone who he'd oppose._"

Watching him leave, they silently assessed the others, then returned to look at the dimensional window. They did so until the million dollar question was finally brought up by Columba—The Hermit. He knew that his younger counterpart Corvus was technically not out of commission completely, so there was no question about what his poor accountability in the afterlife as of now. However, Corvus was currently the one who knew what was up with Kuukanos and his young one who was introduced to them before Suzaku.

"Actually... I sort of messed up by not checking on Lady Velarde."

* * *

"Hey,"

The younger teen greeted his partner like he would in the mornings. Since the day of freshmen classes started today, they were both expected to attend class earlier than expected. Hell, they were so early that the two wouldn't be able to see any of the upper classmen arrive the same morning. Anthony wanted to see who he could use as a possible guide throughout the years they'd be enrolled, but decided that it could wait for another time. Instead, his concern for now was the sleepless boy with bags under his eyes.

"Rutabaski, just what the hell were you doing all night?"

He didn't answer, still under the mindset he had while studying all he could for knowledge on Ki. It seemed like Xetsu had written a few sections here and there about it, but he was wise to hide it around the diary's contents so that it would take someone to read the entire contents before they can learn the knowledge. As such, by the time he grew weary from the mind draining passages, Taritsu looked at the clock by his bed and inwardly cursed as it was near the specified time he was expected to be in class. With little to choose from, he ended up using the overcoat and hat his grandparents gave him to make up for his tired state, and entered.

"...Huh? Sorry...I'm *_yawn_* really not in the mood."

"At least wear your glasses. I know you have them, and they'd serve to hide those hideous bags before anyone suspects."

Complying, he did just that, but soon found himself resting his eyes and took a brief nap. Anthony could only shake his head disapprovingly and returned to his pensive thoughts.

'_If I could get the computer from home then I'd do the research myself. He may have a grand amount of health, but that doesn't mean it's limitless..._' Anthony continued thinking to himself as he noticed how the boy was sleeping soundly. For a genius, he seemed awfully interested in the supernatural despite what tendencies he may have with the sciences. Perhaps that was just a hobby, and all he wanted to do was spend his time freely.

Yes—that did seem logical. The pursuit of knowledge seemed more like a stepping stone for his older "_friend_" than a way of life, and only took it seriously as he loved everything it had to offer. Looking back at the boy, he grew concerned of how Shizuka would react, so he figured moving him towards the back where people wouldn't notice as much.

"Man, he's heavier than I thought. His stature and height are of average build for a 5'8 tall male. It's got to be something else that he's carrying on him." He patted the boy's coat, finding nothing on him. Instead of whining about it, Anthony chose to use the fireman's carry and pulled the boy over to his new seat. "...there."

'_What ever he's eating, it's quickly developing his body._' Checking himself, he mentally noted that he should get conditioned as well. No use on relying on his untrained muscles for something so menial.

A few minutes passed as they waited (technically Anthony was) and soon found the room being filled by freshmen. They were either socializing with one another or radiating a condescending aura as they found their seats. Normally, kids would hang around Anthony as they did when he was younger and inexperienced, by the simple fact that they thought he was "cool" for having a brother like Alberto Edward Sparks. This would irritate Anthony as he knew that they only liked him for what he had, rather than who he was, so he would actively tell them off. Fortunately, since he wasn't well known outside of the Nation, being in SEGA under a pseudonym made things easier as they overlooked him.

Of course, this didn't mean that he explicitly didn't find their conversations uninteresting. The more that they would speak, a better understanding he could get of their profiles and organize in his mind who were the ones worth his while. This continued for some time until he noticed a trend in the back; some students were awry of Taritsu's sleeping figure, and it was justifiable too as he seemed pretty intimidating with how he was dressed and the painful scowl he had on his face. He would have done something about it, but decided not to as it would work against his plans.

Finally, Shizuka entered the room and organized her papers before starting the class. '_If she's this late, then why the hell make us wake up two hours ahead before class!_'

"Good morning everyone. Welcome to your first day of Scientific Explorers and Governance Agency; I am your homeroom teacher, as well as your history instructor, Shizuka Velarde." Doing the whole "wonderful teacher" act, Anthony couldn't take her seriously as he could easily tell she got all that information of how to act from manga. As she went through the roll call, the door opened once more allowing them to see a girl who seemed a bit rushed—but overall seemed quite collective of herself.

"Excuse me for being late. It won't happen again." She said without much embarrassment evident in her tone. It was more of self degrading, but as she started to find an available seat, Shizuka tried to keep her from going any further.

"Actually, I didn't catch your name, and it's convenient that you arrived just before we went over the name list."

"_Euphemia Yukinoshita_," her statement held an ounce of pride of her new identity, although it still came off more as disinterest and wanting to finish with the formalities. In fact, at that moment, some of the students thought of Stephanie as the Ice Queen: blunt and insensitive to whoever spoke to her, possibly even haughty to some. However, not everyone thought of her like that. They were more awry of their tall associate in the back, thinking ill atrocities would befall on them if they messed around with the boy. It was because of that, that Stephanie was interested by their emotion-ridden thoughts based on the boy, and thinking that he might be in the same situation as her.

Anthony wasn't interested on that. No, he was actually intrigued by Taritsu's perked ears having heard the name, indicating that even when out of focus he was still aware of what was happening around him. He also noticed how several of the students had looked away from the 5'8 teen as he sat straight, scaring them once more with the addition of his height.

As Stephanie walked through the aisle, she could actively hear the mean comments they had about the "_mean-spirited_" boy, and she didn't know why but found herself wondering if their claims were really true. Several of them speculated that he was in their class as a remedial student, but Stephanie actually heard some of his thoughts as she walked closer to him.

'_I don't think so. If he was, why would he be here in the first place, especially since he's...wait. Is he reciting a list of enzymes?_' Looking into the emerald eyes of the boy with a visor cap which blent with his hair, they seemed to have a nostalgic theme within them. She also happened to sense that he stopped reciting, once his attention was on her. From what he was giving off, she felt how naturally calm and kind-hearted he actually was, something which the others misjudged with their assigning of the stereotypical archetypes. Seeing as he was the only one who wouldn't protest if she'd ask, she inquired for the seat next to him.

"_Sure._"

* * *

For the majority of the weeks that have gone by, Taritsu's family was a bit lonesome without their science expert family member. At first it seemed quite normal for them as he had been gone for 10 months two years before, but soon it felt like something was off. Thoughts that they had were mostly concentrated around one: Is he okay with this long term situation?

Of course, Johannes was particularly confident that his grandson would handle things under the supervision of The Speedwagon Foundation, and it was advantageous for them as Quinn would have them engaged with preparations of the future. Technology was top of the line, and they had archived a lot of data pertaining to whatever Taritsu would encounter.

"Yes, but father... I'm worried about how he must be feeling." Sedrick, for the first time, was exceptionally distressed. Even more so than his father had when he had to raise in as a single parent, the man seemed like he aged ten years from the anxiety he tried to keep down. Comparing him to his father, it seemed like they were brothers than father and son. Of course, it helped that the 56 year old looked twenty years younger than he actually was, albeit he had facial hair which distinguished him from the younger man.

'_He'll end up happy, I made sure of it since he was a young boy._' "His friends are with him, so there shouldn't be much to worry about. Also, he is not the only responsibility you have. What of your twin daughter and son?"

Aliya and her brother were a bit uneasy with out their elder brother around. He seemed to have left without a word over night, and they wanted to spend time with him. However, as seven-year-olds, they were understanding more of the world and accepted the fact that he was simply being responsible. They'd see him again soon, especially if their math was correct then he'd visit around summer if not the winter break.

"Now, if you'll excuse me." Johannes went back to search for his missing Walkman, wishing that he had thought about them before leaving for Boruvia. "I don't want to buy new formats for my favorite albums."

Looking at his two grandchildren, a deviant idea came to him. They were children, and children could search in areas adults would never think of searching—even if it stared right at them. Of course, he didn't feel at all uncomfortable as the two were his family, and they generally loved their grandparents as did their respected elder brother would. "Find me a small blue case that can fit in your hands. On it are the words SONY, and I'll grant you a visit to your brother when we're able to."

They immediately gone off in search once hearing that opportunity arise.

* * *

As the clock neared the end of class, Taritsu reluctantly left from his seat and went off to get his specially made meals the Director had ordered just for the special group.

(..._you see how much in a hurry he was? Yikes~ I wouldn't want to get in his way_...)

(..._almost thought he was out for me; that look on him seems like he's irritated or something_...)

"Hey, Yukinoshita. Didn't you feel uncomfortable sitting right next to that delinquent?" One of the girls had asked the innocent question out of mutual concern, but Stephanie felt offended by how she phrased the question. It was either that or she wasn't particularly fond of other students since her experiences in middle school. With Soren around, she was usually targeted as a rival, which put her in many of their antagonistic plots that would viciously repeat as Soren was never interfering on behalf of either side. He did try once, but that only escalated the situation so he stayed away from Stephanie when she asked him to.

"No." She simply stated.

(..._brave girl. Wouldn't mind dating her_...)

"I'm also not interested in dating, if that's what you're going to ask me; I'm just here for my education, and I plan to pursue that, and only that." It was automatic; she never intended to, but the horrible experiences she went through had a strong effect on her perception, warping how she viewed the social structures around her. Stephanie wasn't cynical, mind you, but her beliefs in the good of others were very low that she came to the conclusion that many of them needed successfully talented people to help them. Not give them help per say, but adjust them on the right path.

"Chill girl. All I asked is if you could handle being next to that guy." (..._seemed pretty good in that outfit too_...)

It seemed illogical to feel such frustration with them for speaking ill of the boy she hardly even knew, but Stephanie believed it to stem from the annoyance of their comments shared behind her back. With little patience, she headed out for the luncheon and found a familiar face speaking to the intimidating boy as they walked ahead of her.

"So how was class... _Jotaro_?" It wasn't natural for her to use the name, but Charlotte wouldn't compromise his identity for her convenience.

"It's alright. Nothing new I suppose; just went over the syllabus and introductions." He spoke without looking at her, as he had an odd feeling that was being observed, alerting his slight social anxiety. Those suspicions were correct as some of the other students were gossiping in regards of his appearance, as if he were coercing poor Charlotte into giving in to him. "Anyway, was your class any different?"

"Well, it isn't very difficult, since dad did teach me a lot since I we graduated from primary school. I'm not really sure about psychology though; the study seems interesting, but the syllabus...it's obviously demanding." She handed him her copy for emphasis.

Scanning it over carefully, he noted how it was overshadowed by the concepts Xetsu had logged in his diary; he was an evolutionary psychologist in his time, and had a wide scope of the subject, detailed on every lesson and concept that he published years later. In fact, Taritsu had checked the edition the library had on Xetsu's psychology manuscript, and while it was much larger than the pages that held the content, the diary had more compact information that that bulkier set. "This is easy. I can tutor you some time if you want."

"Sure," Charlotte said without much thought on her decision. Remembering how he would get into elaborate explanations, she wanted to retract that statement but her eye caught the form of Stephanie.

As Taritsu found her silent for more than a moment, he looked around to see what was going on. Seeing Euphemia, he was merely perplexed as the girl had looked at him funny. Did she think he was with Charlotte in a manner that wasn't in his favor, or was she too, frightened by how Charlotte seemed uneasy around him. Of course, the reason for Charlotte being much out of her comfort zone was that with her developing body; she had to bind her chest under wraps to pass as a male once again, and with those feminine growths, it was suffice to say that neither of the two found it desirable since it did have complications over extensive periods of time.

"Kakarotto?" Euphemia's correct choice of words baffled Taritsu as he hadn't expected the girl to have known anything about Charlotte.

"Huh?" Charlotte took a moment to process her recollection of the girl, then wielded a bright smile as she found her old friend from the convention. "Oh, it's you Stephanie."

Fortunately there wasn't much people around them to have cared much about using Stephanie's legal name, so they were casually reuniting as old friends would. They were naturally appreciative with one another, making Taritsu feel relieved as his friend and childhood friend were already acquainted and thought positively of one another. However, Stephanie made one mistake that he had not notice since they had known each other so intimately.

Feeling the residue of emotions that Charlotte and Taritsu had for one another, she figured that both were extremely compassionate for the other's well being. It seemed strange, but it was easy for her to assume that they already had a relationship, making that nostalgic vibe that Taritsu had when she looked at him feel off place. The girl didn't want to impose or take over her friend's life, simply because "_Jotaro_" reminded her a bit of Kyousuke, therefore the question was snuck in with a series of other, less triggering ones.

"Just out of curiosity, why did you choose to attend the same school as I?" It came off dry, as her stoicism was active at the moment, but the two understood that she meant it with genuine emotion.

Charlotte really had no way of answering that, but she tried her best to formulate a unique answer—other than being taken along with the plane ride. It just didn't seem natural for her to say that and expect the older girl to believe it. Besides...even if she did, it would reveal Taritsu's identity.

"I was...recommended by my aunt; technically not by blood but I regard her with such respect one would give. She saw that I hadn't gotten as much education as her son, and not wanting me to waste my potential, got my father to allow her in enrolling me into this institution. Honestly, it's embarrassing being compared to my aunt's studious first born, as he's what every mother would want their child to be: an educated contributor to society. Then again, I think she stopped pushing him to study once he was interested in science, so it made her less worried that he'd be vulnerable and psychologically manipulated—but that's my opinion."

Stephanie observed how Taritsu had looked at her with underlying gratitude and surprise. His thoughts were rather thankful of Charlotte for the compliments, which confused the girl why he would have been glad about the little speech Charlotte had given her. It wasn't as if he were the boy she has spoken about, unless...

"_Anou_, Kakarotto—is he your boyfriend?"

Both teens faltered at the statement; neither could comprehend how she may have viewed them, but Taritsu had an inductive reason as what that might be.

"Euphie-chan" His safe attempt of getting her to acknowledge their pass was disregarded

"Don't call me, Euphie. That is a name I would rather not come from you, _Ku-jocose-kun_." That insult fell flat as neither of the two teens understood what Stephanie was talking about. Either she was hungry, or the cultural barriers that they had between the west and the east were a hindrance, unlike the girl who clearly knew what she wanted to say. However, Taritsu was more worried about Charlotte's gender being revealed, rather than that insult, so analyzing what she said was totally ignored.

(..._PLEASE DON'T LET CHARLOTTE'S SECRET GET OUT_...)

Eyeing his vulnerable gaze, she could tell exactly what was going on. He was giving her the advantage here, instead of how males would typically tell her to shut her trap as she wasn't anything to have authority over them, and that made it clear to her that this boy was someone she could rely on. Additionally, that name he "_said_" was intriguing to her. Wasn't Kakarotto the name of her friend, or was Charlotte a nickname? She'd find out some other time.

"Euphemia...it would mean a lot to me if you could keep Kakarotto's gender a secret. It isn't in our best interests that her sex is known, and I can't really express how much it would mean to us by keeping your word on that. I'll be in your debt."

'_I wish I had a good reason to accept this boy's request, but I keep going off to think about him. Grrr, I'm doing this for Kakarotto, not her "boyfriend", though he does seem to share Kyousuke's qualities._' "So long as it matters, then I can keep my word. Plus, I wouldn't dare going against your wishes." She flashed them a weak and uncertain smile, but a smile nonetheless. Having left as Taritsu sighed in relief since she didn't want to impose longer than necessary from that sensitive matter, Taritsu stood in a daze, having opened his mouth to reply but found himself speechless as she had basically ended their contact for the day.

Charlotte, however, was shaking her head from the deep thoughts that Stephanie had suggested. Taritsu found it bemusing seeing his young friend do that, and quickly dispatched his arms on her shoulders to keep her from falling due to that self-inflicted vertigo. Seeing his hands near her face, she tried inching away but he held her in place. Eyes serious, he suggested that she should stay with him for the time being.

"I just can't let that slide, but what's done is done." He indicated what his words meant by gestures and pointing at the example of their hands intermingling. When he felt it was enough to get his point through to her, Charlotte grew a bit displeased at the lack of intimate touch between them, but listened anyway without protest. "Best we get our meal and head to a quiet area."

* * *

Impatience could not describe Vejita at the moment. Waiting for the others was not something he could tolerate, but at least the scenery made up for it. On the far side of island, 500 kilometers from the institute, the 17 year old had chosen a rather serene area that fitted more for a vacation than that of training grounds. However, the logic behind it was sound; if they trained by the beach, someone could easily spot them and it wouldn't do the group any favors if they report it to Director Quinn. Despite having his permission, the faculty staff were finicky about proper processes, more so than his own father.

Why couldn't people be more like the work-place example Baddack had? Certainly being able to produce 90 products an hour from scratch and never wasting material should have made an impact by now. In fact, because of their efficiency, the company was far more flexible than the rest of Kairne, and that's saying something when your entire nation would have an hour break between 12 and 1 pm each day.

Hearing the younger adolescents, Vejita flicked away the twig he had between his fingers and straightened up. Good thing too as he was baffled by how close "Kakarotto" and the clown had been getting. Although he didn't care much what they did, it was still uncomfortable being friends with two who seemed to want such a relationship with another. It brought shuddering thoughts just mentioning that such cases existed and could be the status of their relationship; they already shared a room together, so the first step was already 35% more likely to incur such ideas upon them.

After them was a scowling genius, and a few feet behind him was the calm practitioner of basic energy manipulation, Henry Blakes.

"Ahem." They each looked up at the older boy, who seemed rather nervous as this was his first experience managing individuals of such age groups. '_Just treat them like ten-year-olds. That's not so hard to handle._' "As we all know, the reason I called you out here is to train."

"Well, I'm not needed." Anthony turned to leave, only to have his feet moving in the air as Henry had lifted him up from his collar. Despite what they knew, Henry wasn't just a energy manipulator. His main powers were actually superhuman strength that rivaled Taritsu's, but had an advantage in that his muscles and bone tissue were super-dense. Compared to Taritsu, Henry was better adapted to tank damage and dish it out, while Taritsu was better at sneaking in damage without being tagged.

"Don't skip out just cause you can't do much, man. Training doesn't specifically imply that we're all going to develop ourselves in energy manipulation; this is just an assessment of how we're all going to operate with one another."

Having stopped struggling, the teen hanged—arms akimbo—as he waited for the power house to let him down. He clutched his neck, feeling a bit of an ache but found his breathing strategy release the pain. Having noticed, Vejita noted that the boy had potential, but he wasn't as suited as the others to shoot energy blasts. '_Guess I know who's my back up._'

"Any how. First well need to gauge each other's capabilities. I believe speed is in order," he said whilst pulling out a stop watch. Looking at the boy he'd known for years, he shook his head and gave him a look that meant he was to sit down. Satisfied, he tossed it over to said teen. "While we get ready, you record our times."

"Alright, but where's the destination point."

"Good question," Vejita replied while taking off an under vest, wrist bands, and switching his boots to a more suitable pair. Throwing them over head, the jumbled article of clothing landed with a significant sized crater on impact, prompting both scientific teens to calculate it weighing approximately 136 kilograms.

"There's our finish line." It was approximately 500 meters, so Taritsu was undoubtedly amazed by the older boy's improvement by being able to throw that much weight towards that kind of distance. He then got warmed up and transitioned into his stance. "Everyone ready?"

Giving the signal to go, Taritsu watched as each of them took turns closing the distance. As Vejita went first, his record was about 9 seconds, putting him over the rate of 120 miles an hour. Next, Henry took his turn and managed with 16 seconds and close to 63 miles, followed by a reluctant Anthony who found the task meaningless.

"Just run the distance, dammit. This is but a warm up, so don't skip out!" Threatened the general's son.

Rolling his eyes, Anthony took the sprinter's position and awaited for the signal. Running without distractions, he quickly found himself next to the others in less than 12 seconds.

"11 seconds, 55 milliseconds. Just over 100 miles." Shouted Taritsu from across the distance. Only Charlotte was left, and she didn't seem confident in keeping up with them. Seeing this, Taritsu assured her that speed would develop with training, so there really wasn't much to worry about if she couldn't perform as well as she'd wish.

"Alright...guess it's now or never."

"GO!" His sudden interjection made her stumble forward, but after regaining her footing, Charlotte found herself doing outstandingly better than she imagined. Once she made it next to the other's, all of the boy's were left pondering how she managed to get a better time than Vejita.

"4 seconds flat." Nonchalantly stated Sparks.

"How the hell did you get so fast Kakarotto?"

"Nice one, dude."

It became apparent to Charlotte that she could keep up with Taritsu now, albeit a fraction of his actual speed, but she was glad either way. 280 miles an hour was way faster than any conventional vehicle, and she wondered how she managed doing so. Looking behind her, she noticed how her tails had been released from where she hid them, possibly being a factor in her speed, and quickly put them away before they had noticed. Hoping that the attention they were giving her would go away soon, Henry answered her wishes.

"Hey, why don't we measure his time too?"

"Don't need to." Said Vejita, without much thought.

"Why.."

The sudden breeze passed by them in a quick blur of blue.

"..not?"

Right behind their semi-circle formation, the condescending teen held the stop watch, stating 1.500 seconds had passed by. If he had gone any faster, there would had been a resulting sonic boom, but the teen was considerate enough to tone it down and not damage his friends.

Vejita was the first to break the silence. "Because that's why."

* * *

Now ready for their gauge of strength test, the group was reluctant to engage with either one of the "three" powerful males. This prompted Vejita and Anthony to draw lots on who got to stand as referee for the round.

"Nope, doesn't count."

"The hell are you talking about? That was fair game; there's more than three sticks so we have a 25% chance of getting lucky depending on which one of us is going first. And the next person's turn gets a 33.3% chance after that."

"Save that babbling for later when it matters. This is just an excuse to not step up to the challenge."

"Alright, then you take on one of them. See if you can survive, cause I'm not putting my life on the line for this stupid game."

"Hoho?! I would gladly do so, if only you could fool me into taking the bait." Vejita elaborated on how both his familiars could easily incapacitate him, and added a death sign to emphasize the point.

Figuring that they wouldn't get anywhere with procrastination, Henry challenged Taritsu into a fair game of strength.

"Ever heard of Mercy?"

His eyes perked up in curiosity and asked for an explanation. It intrigued him how such a game went past his knowledge; then again, he wouldn't exactly have had any proper participants to play against.

Drawing a 9 foot diameter circle, the two stepped into the center and interlocked their hands for the initiation.

"Maybe you two should compete with each other." Charlotte's suggestion made the bickering duo look up and see the other two struggling to overpower the other. For a while, they were at a standstill, but it was obvious with the force behind their weight; each trying to push the other out of the ring, they gritted their teeth and soon found themselves moving in favor of Taritsu's advantage.

'_Don't get so cocky._' It was actually what Henry wanted, and once he had the boy nearly pushing him out of the ring, the wiser fighter pulled him over and threw him into a loss. "Man, you were really something." He clutched his hands, which were left with grip marks and had begun turning purple from oxygen deprivation. It ached a bit, but it wasn't nearly as serious as one would think.

"You too, but I'm afraid I have a lot to learn." He grinned amusingly at his loss and gave a heartfelt laugh.

Seeing as they were now waiting upon them, both of the weaker males engaged in their form of competition.

* * *

"Can we stop now? It's getting pretty late, you know."

Vejita had been unaware of the time being consumed by their inefficient gauging of strength and speed, which then led to them climbing up the side of the cliff and hike for about an hour on Henry's insistence. Since it was now dinner time, it meant that by the time they returned it would already be late for any of the excessive meals to boost their energy.

"Hmm, you're right." They regrouped in a closely tight formation when they heard the rustling of nearby bushes. Not knowing what that could have been, they each held a ready stance, except for two of the five.

Stepping onto the path, Amadeus Quinn was greeted by Anthony and Henry as they had recognized his breathing from earlier interactions. His reason for arriving was, in truth, to see how his advanced level group was faring on their own. "So how's the first day of training?"

"Not bad, we're getting somewhere, but not as one would like to."

"Well, it's a start. Obviously not every team can be proficient enough to go off on their own." Amadeus held a packet of documents, all which he had purposely brought to brief them on their first assignment. Although many of them weren't prepared at all, he intended for some to act as intel while the other members did field work.

"I've been contacted by my son on tasks that your entry level team can accomplish. Be aware that this isn't BALM enlisting you, but the "_Speedwagon_" family. The first assignment can easily get done with research, but be aware that this requires detective work, then actually encountering the target or preventing future crimes." He pointed over at Vejita, marking him as their leader once again. "Since Pioneeri has been on...similar cases, I would expect he leads the investigation team. Now, as for field work..."

The Director needed to find out who in their group was both quick, exceptionally sturdy and powerful, and good with tactile applications. Looking over the three boys, he discounted Charlotte for being the expendable of the listed boys. It was up to Taritsu and Henry to get their half of the job done. "Oh, and by the way...the encyclopedia I gave you is capable of recording and scanning data, so utilize it for communications. You now have my permission to do as you must, but please follow the proper code of conduct as it's both ethical and efficient to do so."

Before he left them, however, Amadeus reminded the group to go ahead and wait in the faculty dining room as he had personally set aside their meals for them. The plan was for them to get accustomed with one another, so having them share lunch was a perfect way for them to bond as well. "Just remember that there isn't much I expect on your education, unless you really want to be accredited." He left soon after placing on his shades, and especially before any of them had the idea to ask for a ride back to their meeting place.

"Why the hell did all of you forget to tell him that?"

"I'm fine walking back to the land rover. It's only two miles from here anyway, Vejita."

He scolded the boy with a hard knock at the back of his head. He was technically correct with what he said, having brought everyone else over with his vehicle, but that was accounting for linear travel. With them above the cliffs, they'd have to walk around to the lower plains and travel from there. Still, the other boys didn't mind going with Taritsu's idea.

With a quick assessment, Anthony jumped after Henry did, taking the safer route by landing on each corresponding branch level so as to keep landing pain to a minimum. Once they finally reached the ground below, Vejita had asked for their encyclopedias, checked all the features it had, and gave it back.

"Seems he's correct on what it can do." He stated just as they reached the teen's vehicle. Each one of them took their seats and listened intently to what Vejita's briefing of their assignment was. "It appears that there is a certain crime pertaining around the Pyrastrenean-Sagratian borders, mainly at the industry heavy areas. There's more to this, but I'd need to modify the format before we can start on the first objective. For now, once we get back, eat your dinner and get the necessary amount of rest. It'll be a rough week for you two, so wake up earlier than 0400; that doubles for the others as well."

The Sparks child groaned as he hadn't found such a sleeping schedule appealing in all his life. Seeing that this was the orders of a general's son, he sucked it up and had to comply. There was a certain article he had found that had to do with the specified area a couple years ago, and he had trouble recalling what the contents were as the printed headlines made it seem irrelevant for anything. Even so, Anthony cussed himself out in his mind for having arrogantly thrown that article away.

A few days went by as they continued to train and seek a sense of compatibility with one another. As they didn't have much time to waste, Vejita suggested that they'd first logically rule out possible leads, then check if they were at all connected by the field investigations team. Of course, this meant having to travel a lot in Sagratian territories, which was a bad idea when Vejita thought deeper of the decision. Sending Taritsu out for that task was just the same as sending a young child to a slaughterhouse; it just added more to the negative reinforcements that Taritsu would occasionally hear from bystanders about his origin and birth conditions.

Having returned, Vejita was the first to break the silence that the two boys had gotten comfortable with. "You sure nothing happened?"

Henry assured the general's son that there were no leads at the locations they'd gone to, but the flamesque haired adolescent was more concerned with his younger companion's morale. '_If he loses it, my dad's not going to let me see day light again._' "I meant if you had any troubles."

"Oh, well... in that case we did encounter something, but it was nothing we couldn't handle." Henry stated the minimum, omitting the fact that Taritsu had gotten into a fist fight with a couple of the gangbangers from _Nouveau Yarshey_. It surprised him to see someone so pacified change behaviors erratically on a whim, as the boy seemed to avoid confrontations when they hassled him for money, but when it came to them trying to mangle the finances from a family nearby, it made him akin to an attack dog. Frightening—yet awe-inspiring as the teen fought for the weak and exhausted members of society.

"Well, alright." Vejita replied, eyeing them once more before turning to check on his team, who were in the computer lab. Following him, they found the other two working together, each completing their assigned tasks as Vejita had set up for their private session in the computer lab. There at the far end of the room, they saw as the Sparks child use what resources he had to utilize multiple units at once, opening articles and archived news from the dates he acknowledged.

Seeing Taritsu coming up next to him by the corner of his eye, Anthony told him to keep his distance. "Dude, I'm busy getting ourselves the investigative resources." His task was different than what Charlotte's was, and it irked the teen to see how inconsiderate he was being by leaving the girl to handle her task without any knowledge of handling the software. He would teach Anthony that it was best to collaborate on their work, whether he liked it or not.

"Oi, Kakarotto. Let me help you with this." Taritsu stated, loud enough for Anthony to hear but not at a point where it be considered condescending. Still, the Sparks child looked over to see what the hell he was making a big deal about.

Anthony was about to retort, until he saw that the boy had changed his eye color. At the moment he was distracted, he did not see what the boy had input into the software, and only saw the screen results of what process had taken place. Grinning victoriously, Taritsu allowed them to see the genius of his sleuthing skills. "I know that you worry a lot, Anthony. It's natural to be that way, however...this doesn't help anyone." He stated, whilst showing them the isolated areas which Taritsu had figured was the greatest source of related crimes.

'_What would he know about my problems? Besides, I can take care of myself._' Anthony believed that to be true, as it was what he felt was the right course of action. However, such a conviction was counterproductive and harmful for the boy, and it was that which prevented him from realizing that Taritsu had came to the right conclusion—with the wrong methods. Whether it was his pride or incentive to get the investigation done as soon as possible making him do this, Anthony was simply in denial that he had regarded the issue as something he had to get done himself because—he was still sentimental about things. Of course, he wouldn't regard it such a way, and out of concern that it would push him further into isolating himself from working with the team, Taritsu knew that he had to keep Anthony from taking full responsibility and the strain along with it.

Instead, Anthony took one last look at the screen and at his companion's notes. There was a trend alright, but it didn't quite fit with the reports Anthony had access to. Seeing how the boy was now busy talking with Valogna, he swallowed his pride, and decided that he'd double check things... just in case. '_He's strange alright. Especially when it comes to Valogna._'

* * *

The next morning, Taritsu awoke with a strange feeling that he had forgotten something. Groggily, he looked at the clock, stating that he was 15 minutes earlier than he intended to wake up for. Knowing that it would be better to get up now, than savor an additional ten minutes of sleep, he got up and changed into a larger blue hoodie that was a replica of the smaller one he bought in Jesong, along with white gloves that would prevent messing around with forensic evidence if there so happened to exist while he and Henry were out in the field. It looked alright in his opinion, as he didn't seem menacing to others while whether the overcoat, and Taritsu liked how it made him feel complete. Of course, he didn't consider them proper attire for scientific study and research, but the casual clothing would do for fieldwork, especially since it wouldn't bring much suspicion.

'_Oh yeah, I was supposed to check on Sonic last night._' He didn't find the blue hedgehog terribly uncomfortable with his living conditions. In fact, it seemed that Charlotte was quite on top of things, taking care of the exotic species like it were given to her as a present...or a child. '_Where did that come from? Sure, she may be Aunt Marguerite's daughter, but it doesn't mean that Charlotte would make a good mother by that fact alone._'

Out of spite, it seems that some overlord deity had heard what he was thinking and had conveniently made the statement audible for Charlotte, who had just entered the room from her morning shower. Not knowing what to do as she had never faced the situation where Taritsu would awaken before she would finish her morning hygienic routine, she eyed Taritsu quietly whilst assessing how to get her selected clothing placed on the bed.

"Did...did you hear that just now?" It didn't take a reply to know that the girl was hurt. Only a moron could tell that the girl was hurt, but Taritsu's mistake was he thought he didn't catch on to that, or rather, he didn't deduce what had affected the girl. "Look, I didn't mean to talk about your mom. I miss _zia_ Marguerite too."

She didn't move, but ended up going back into the bathroom seconds later when the time spread thin into nigh infinity, and the embarrassment was becoming intolerable. It was seemingly robotic, and Taritsu couldn't put his finger on the exact issue, but he did consider using a method that would brighten her day.

"_Sharurotto_, how about after I return, we visit the island again? Just you and me."

"'—You and I.' The proper grammar is 'you and I'." She stated in a matter-of-fact tone, consoling the older boy through the wall that separated them between rooms. She didn't want to ask whether he saw how indecent she was; for all she knew, she was already spoiled in his eyes. '_Why did it have to be today that I choose to shower unlike I usually do the nights before?_'

"Huh? _Sharu_, when did you~"

A knock on the door indicated Vejita was already hounding on them to get going, making the pseudo-quarrel end before it could escalate into something worse for the both of them.

"Both of you better be at the meeting in 10; Sparks figured out where the next crime scene will be, so hurry it up. I won't hesitate to knock sense into the clown as I'm quite afraid of Baddack's reaction."

"You know I don't like when you call me that, Vejita. This better not be a popular term that people are going to know me as."

Menacing laughter was the only response as the older teen simply took his leave and let the two on there own for the moment. Cracking open the door slightly, Charlotte saw as he sighed and sat on the bed, making it all the more difficult for her to change. Her wits riled, the girl tried asking him for what she considered an embarrassing favor, but couldn't exactly tell him exactly what she needed as he'd see something indecent.

"Could you... leave, please?" Her voice was more feminine and vulnerable than he was used to, making for warm, fuzzy feelings arise in the teen genius as he registered that. Charlotte's request had the same effect on him as Karalynne Tepelny's presence did, but he wouldn't admit to either of those if asked. Instead, Taritsu lingered on that feeling even as Charlotte had stopped talking to him through the door, imagining what fantasies his mind would lead him to.

A hard thump could be heard as he felt Vejita's knuckles driving at the back of his head. Growling in pain, and rubbing his head, the boy argued with his older friend. The "responsible" team leader was condescendingly smirking as he had completed his end of the deal, which was managing to tag the boy in surprise.

"Well, we all saw that it's possible. He isn't omniscient like you theorized, and certainly doesn't show awareness before the incoming blow." He said whilst the other two gave disapproving frowns at the older teen.

"That wasn't very nice, Vejita!"

"Kid, when you go out into the field, no one plays nice." What he said was sagely life advice; no matter how old anyone was, when it came to criminals and vicious, rampaging, super powered villains, they wouldn't dare show mercy. He had learned the hard way through the stories of his uncle "_Thomas V. Pioneeri_", when he held the family mantle before Vasilis. In addition, he learned from their family butler, Alfredo, that Vasilis was grooming him to be Thomas's successor, as his father felt he hadn't honored his memory as the current Clandestine. Strange fact, but an honorable one at that.

Charlotte had finally entered the hall, face flushed as she changed in a rush to aid Taritsu, but realized that she had tied the under wraps tighter than usual. It was uncomfortable having that sensation restrain her chest, and Taritsu noticed it as well. However, even if he noticed and played coy by complementing "_Kakarotto_" for getting quickly prepared, she feared what Sparks may have noticed. '_Why does he keep grimacing at me like that?_'

Eying the body language interaction between Taritsu and "_Kakarotto_", Vejita mentally scolded himself for thinking that they may be closer in that regard than one could comfortably acknowledge. It didn't help that the two shared the same room, but he knew better than to risk their lives simply to separate the two out of an issue such as that. "Alright, I suppose we can get on the investigations now."

"_Joakam_ and Valogna, you're both heading with me to serve as Intel and technical support Team. Blakes and _Kujo_, get going on your field investigations. I want a mandatory status report every 2 hours. If you find anything crucial, do not hesitate nor engage, since that'll give off our only chance at finding out why these crimes are happening. Do you understand?" The debriefing was as menacing as his normal tone was towards everyone—possibly even tenfold the crudeness. Charlotte figured that it would be the case as he learned most of his interpersonal skills and lectures from the Former Chief General of Kairne's military, _Luciano Volpe_, as well as having training ingrained by his vigilante double-life father.

Nodding, the two dispatched for neutral territory between Sagratia and Pyrastrene: Ledrua.

* * *

Saying that the two didn't speak to one another because they didn't find much in common was an understatement. Neither wanted to talk as they were highly engaged with what the plan was, and the first step included where to hide their ride home. Then again, they did have an awkward conversation earlier...

"Hey, Maurice," Henry started, using the foreigner's pronunciation of his paternal middle name. "Do you mind telling me what's your views on the supernatural?"

"Eh?"

The reason why Henry was asking was out of the similarities he had seen between Anthony and him; both boys had an affinity for rationality and logic, while also detesting anything that wasn't based on fact. At least—that is what Henry believed by how they approached things. "I mean, you do know what Hadou energy is, correct?"

"Yeah. It's free flowing energy from the body's internal system, usually used to manipulate any particles in the air, and works wonders when harnessing other sources of energy. Why would you ask about that, when it's clearly not anything supernatural of origin?"

"No reason in particular. I was just trying to assess whether or not you're open minded. Which leads me ask once more: what is your take on the supernatural?"

Thinking about it, Taritsu realized that Henry was asking him one aspect of the unknown, rather than the scientific applications that explained the unknown. He didn't detest false science; it was more along the lines of detesting how people would quickly lie to themselves and others, ruining the potential chance of understanding the world around them. Confirmation bias: the bane of his motivation, and usually what members of society relied on when reacting towards the stereotype of who he was. A bratty, snob of a child, who would amass a large audience for attention of his wonders, and likely the one conditioning them to drop their guard for exploitation.

"There's nothing wrong with me believing in the impossible or improbable. It's forcing it onto others, making them accept what is fact and what isn't that makes me mad. I may not be devout to a religion, but I am well educated to understand the teachings that the supernatural gives to our lives..._ even if I don't make my parents proud on that aspect_."

"I'm sorry."

"For what? There's no need to apologize since you did nothing to wrong me. I'm just reminiscing about some of the things I kind of regret."

"Yes, but... I may have touched upon some really sensitive family issues just then. Besides, I thought I might have insulted your way of life."

That caught his attention immediately. Briefly, he wondered if Henry understood his enthusiasm. As a child, Taritsu had been fascinated with how everything functioned, and deeply yearned to understand what it was that gave things purpose. He understood that he was meant to be the epitome of his parents being devoted to one another, and that family units were meant to be small, but in communication with each household. That is how he recognized that Baddack was either a family member, or a friend of the family, and how he learned concepts in school so quickly. However, the greatest fascination he had that stood out to him was the classification of life... and what _is_ unknown. That is why he used science in his life most of the time; as a tool that benefited him—and he knew there were times not to overthink things, like "what is love?", or spirituality.

"Let's just forget about it for now. We'll have to land soon to resume the mission anyway."

* * *

Ironhead Systems. The company which Sagratia held business ties with when they needed to order mass production units on a whim. Currently known as an independent company isolated between the Sagratian and Pyrastrenean territories, its renowned for having the most versatile manufacturing plant known to date. Their only issue was having a proper code of conduct in regards to physical visits from clientele, and that was how Taritsu and Henry were going to enter the facility.

"...from Thiuca, you say? Excuse me while I check our appointments and check you in."

'_It's a good thing the others hacked into their systems._'

"Well... you're both clear." The security guard opened the gates, letting the two boys in. Having been given their passes at the outpost, they entered the first building nearby and walked around for a while.

"_Hey. We're going to need uniforms for our next phase of investigating. If we can somehow act as if we're running inspections, we might find an anomaly that's causing these crimes._"

Too late. They we're greeted by the manager of the building, and unable to sneak off, they had to endure with the conversation. Adapting to it wasn't so hard, as Taritsu had watched Baddack and Taresu do that all the time. However, seeing as the manager kept an eye on Henry, Taritsu's worries were immediately taking hold.

"This is a observational visit, correct?"

"Yes," He stated without compromising his tone. It seemed satisfactory to the manager, but he kept an eye on the two.

"_Nice work getting him off your trail._"

The alarm suddenly went off in the facility, making all of the workers stop production and assemble how they were supposed to during practice drills. It was painful for Taritsu to withstand the blaring sounds, but the manager paid no heed to his comfort and took the two where it was safe—with the others in the designated area.

"_S__er, u nas yest' bresh' v komnate inventarizatsii._"

"Damn. Not another one."

Neither Taritsu nor Henry knew what was happening, but as soon as they heard the door creak, the room temperature fall, followed by an explosion that blinded them all, they knew that trouble had found them. A total of three armed men seemed have been the ones responsible, but they weren't just ordinary men.

Each were armed with special equipment for cooling, demolitions, and stealth technology.

Getting out of their situation now meant having to choose risking their exposure, or stick to the plan Vejita explicitly stated to not compromise.


	16. Chapter 16

**Arc II**

**Chapter 3**

**Bad Company Part Two**

* * *

Nothing.

The communications between the two groups were interfered with an energy source, jamming the signal Vejita had to automatically check on their teammates. Gritting his teeth, the general's son slammed his fists on the desk, shocking the other two at his actions. Anthony had quietly been assessing his options, and figured that both the boy's phone and the encyclopedia were inapplicable in the current situation. The most they had was control over their transportation, and it didn't receive ordinary commands from outside sources.

'_He's done his homework with cyber security alright. Almost as good as my brother's, if not better._' The wouldn't discourage him from trying all he could though, so cracking open the cabinets, he looked around for an old IBM workstation that they must have had stored in the computer room.

"Umm...w-what are you doing?" Charlotte asked innocently as the teen took off the hinges of the cabinet to pull out the workstation without harming its components. In a way, his serious nature on getting the work done on his own was strikingly similar to Taritsu's love of science. Both boys were knowledgeable in multiple disciplines, but they differed drastically on their reasons for doing so. It was because of that reason, that Anthony was using an old experiment Alberto, his brother, had gone over with him.

"Hacking a multi-billion dollar company using four-decade-old technology," she heard him say nonchalantly. He disconnected a few desktops and settled the computer on top to rewire the hardware. "Hand me those pliers. Needle-nose, please."

At this, Vejita wondered what the hell was the difference between what he was doing now with what they did earlier. Doing redundant work wasn't tolerable in their situation, but if they would succeed, clarity of what the boy was doing was needed.

"Adding an appointment onto their systems is easy. Their internal communications data are on separate servers."

"Well... work the fastest you can. Success or failure is up to us now." '_Last thing I need is him dying, and knowing him, he's unwilling to defend himself if it means risking the lives of others._'

* * *

"Alright. Listen up," shouted the one with the cooling technology. He wore a heavy blue and white parka, resemblant to an arctic tribe member. He was most likely the gang's Captain, as evident when he had managed them without much protest as they rounded everyone behind bars. "I want all your supervisors before me right now. There's something we need access to, and if we don't have it, then you can kiss your billions away."

As a demonstration, the one wielding demolitions equipment pressed a trigger, detonating another object which the workers cringed at hearing. Audible groans of protest could be heard, but the supervisor in charge, who sought to keep them from harming their company and all its assets, refused to give in, nor allow the workers come to harm.

"_Hey, listen closely. See that scrawny one in the back?_"

Taritsu followed closely to Henry's directions. Indeed, the leanest of the trio had already made his move, undetectably thanks to his stealth tech. However, continuous staring into that direction caught the attention of the demolitions man.

"...What 'c_ha_ looking at, tough guy?" He puffed on his cigar while demanding an answer. Though that man had a butch cut and a hat that stated in bold "_born to kill_", it didn't make him any more intimidating than Vejita, only as arrogant as the teen when it came to his specialization. For that reason, when Taritsu ignored the man, it irked him to the point that he struck him across his jaw with the butt of his riffle.

Reeling back from the recoil of his weapon thanks to Taritsu remaining in an unnerved stationary position, the man watched silently as he was confounded by the boy's pain tolerance. Hell, he didn't even blink as he was struck; there was no way some ordinary business man could act collectively cool in that situation. The only thing he had to thank for on his resilience was the lessons his father gave him when he was younger, and hadn't any friends in school. It was around the time that he was about four years, that institutes realized he was too intellectually incredible, so they placed him in grades much higher than the average four-year-old.

"T.N.T., don't mess with the hostages. We need all we can have our hands on." Spoke their Captain. At that moment, "T.N.T." stood back and continued to puff his cigar, then flicked it at Taritsu, who did all he could to hold back his urge to bust out of the bars and beat the man there and then. Looking back at the workers and the supervisor, however, made him recalculate his actions.

'_Damn. I would like to teach that guy a lesson, but I can't risk exposure._'

He eyed the employees around him, each having some expression of anxiety as they waited to find out what their captors wanted. It was the same look Taritsu saw in primary school from other kids. Back then, being intellectual for his age was a big deal, and many praised him for that; however, some didn't like his attitude—and basing their justification on legends that were possibly myth—made them retaliate with physical preemptive attacks. Unfortunately for him, Taritsu knew how to defend himself, but he didn't want to engage in pointless battles. It was barbaric, ineffective, and never taught much of a lesson other than conditioning fear.

So he took their punishment, and allowed them to mess with him, which soon escalated into other methods of harming him. This continued for a while, and eventually his parents caught on and transferred him to other schools, but that just threw him out of one situation and into another, cycling through the same torturous punishments again and again. That was until one day, when he thought he and Kakarotto were reunited once again, his bullies targeted the child, prompting Taritsu to beat them unconscious. At the same time, his actions were witnessed by a few AN council members, who had been skeptical of Baragus's cause and stepped aside to allow what appeared to them as a security agent. No one had suspected it, but apparently it was a crazed supported of Baragus who took the opportunity to strike up close, yet failed when Cheisu had been tipped off by his younger sibling.

Because of all that, Taritsu had vowed never to harm another in such a brutal manner, and it caused him a great trauma when a similar incident happened in Jakarta's forest. Yet, the expressions of fear made him reevaluate his decision. There would be force involved, just not the life-threatening kind he detested.

"I had a reasonable justification for that, Captain Cool."

"Eh?" The Captain's interest was piqued.

T.N.T. began fiddling with one of his many devices, explaining what he figured out from the young adolescent. It wasn't a completely false assumption, but both boys knew that the more the demolitions man spoke, the more they'd be buried in problems with the company. For that reason, they gave each other a knowing glance, agreeing on what they would do when the opportunity presents itself.

"Ridiculous! How could you assume that a greedy bastard—the likes of a business man—would be willing to risk his life to battle us unarmed? Remember, we have equipment here to aid us on the retrieval task. If any of them try anything, we have them cornered, since it'd be easy to destroy months worth of production where we're standing."

At that moment, Taritsu began laughing.

Everyone awaiting silently as they paid attention to him—even the thugs. Henry couldn't believe that his partner had lost it, but had to keep calm; it seemed to him that he was the only one that could finish the job, so executing the makeshift plan they had was dependent on how fast he could cut the bars open with what he had—which wasn't much and using his hands weren't an option with everyone around. Fortunately, Taritsu's uncontrolled fit was enough to distract everyone and buy him the necessary time.

"What the hell are you laughing at?"

He ignored the one in charge, further irritating the bulk to a point where he saw it reasonable to knock some sense into him. Except, Cool stopped him from landing the blow. "Let me," he said whilst keeping an eye on the rest of the group.

"Your title. Captain Cool... seems like you're a wannabe villain. Copyright kept you from taking the actual name?"

"Watch your tongue, you little bastard," T.N.T. had put his hands through the bars to grab Taritsu by his collar, only serving to his advantage even more. '_Perfect... just separate from another and I can pick you all off._'

"Don't." Cool stated as he whirred the gun in his hand. As the bulk man settled down, he instantly pulled Taritsu's arms out passed the bars, enough for Cool to freeze them in place, effectively locking him with the iron bars, but didn't leave a large crystalline formation like it'd typically display in comics and movies. The sensation was oddly painless, since the boy had associated flash freezing with pain due to immediate loss of heat. '_The laws of physics effects everything much the same. When he froze the metal, there was a weakening on its stress tolerance, yet he somehow adjusted it so I wouldn't be injured. Guess he's an ethical thug._'

"For your information, I wouldn't have chosen this title if it weren't for my attributes. The actual title is "_Carnot Cool_" but T.N.T. here insists on using military terms, as he's ex-commando. This "_Freeze Ray_" I moderately use in rare situations, reflects how merciful and unperturbed I am. There are multiple settings on the device actually, and although I could theoretically reach levels similar to that of 0 kelvin with it, the device would run out of energy before it'd even make it to freezing every element in your body. Had it been my other team mate, Schrodinger, well... let's just say he'd have you all dead or alive."

'_Still gonna call him Captain Cool though..._'

Hearing as Henry still needed a few more seconds of distraction, Taritsu continued with his forced laughter at the geeky jokes. Half of him actually felt that this "Captain Cool" was a fairly respectable man, and that his situation was out of financial need, not sadism. However, he knew from his knowledge of psychology that the mind can tell the difference between forced and genuine laughter when able to see the subject's facial muscles, so being up front put him at a disadvantage; there had to be something he could say that would throw them off from catching on. For once, he was wishing his cohabitant could take over, but it wouldn't let him grow into his own person if he did so.

"_Coolio, Magnate Planck's Antithesis._"

A quizzical look appeared on the Captain's face when he heard it, but the bulk believed it was meant as an insult. Of course, in Taritsu's mind, T.N.T. was probably lacking the education to understand his sesquipedalian loquaciousness that he flaunted with pride. Eyes widening as he was about to smash his arms against the bars to coerce the adolescent, Taritsu braced himself for the pain he knew all too much about when he was bullied for being superior in primary school. Seeing this, Captain Cool halted the man's action by barking the orders once again, bringing relief to the fourteen year old. "I'll check on Frege, since we're not getting any progress with this stubborn group; don't bust any heads in or you'll compromise everything."

This left Taritsu to concentrate on whether his friend had already made the escape route accessible, allowing himself open to the Bulk to mess around with him. Not willing to let the boy get off his radar freely, he choose instead to use one of the hostages against him. Taking the least suspecting worker in record speed that their reaction time was hardly aware of, T.N.T. had what he needed. Now, taking a small cylinder object from his pack, the bulk held what appeared to be a flare. Striking it to ignite from the sparks from the iron bars, T.N.T. held it close to the worker's face, dangerously close to the individual.

"Are you going to do anything about this, tough guy?" He was really pushing at Taritsu's anger, but he was still bounded to Vejita's requirement. It also didn't help that whatever technology Cool had to bond him to the bars was still in effect. "Or do you want to be responsible for an employee accident?"

'_Henry, you have to knock him out. I don't care anymore, just get that bastard and teach him a lesson._'

"_Drugoy posetitel' ne vokrug. Kuda on delsya?_" By this time, the fellow workers had noticed Henry had gotten out of sight, making their Supervisor aware of the situation heading towards the deep end.

It was at that moment that the lights in the facility had shut off, leaving only the final dying embers of the flare as their light source. No one knew exactly why, but the supervisor had a faint idea that his comrades had cut off the power to isolate the infiltrators in their facility. It would only be moments later that they'd pump in Fentanyl to incapacitate everyone, so he briefly whispered to those around him to follow their training and place on the respirators they were provided with.

"The hell did you guys do?!" T.N.T. was incredibly aggravated that he finally snapped and threw his hostage several feet into the air, injuring a few of the other workers who were unfortunate enough to be in the way. He was going make the adolescent pay, since he felt Taritsu was behind the act, when in fact it was actually his companions back in SEGA.

Taritsu, seeing as it was total darkness, naturally grinned sadistically as he found himself in the optimal conditions he was adapted to at birth. Since he was always a super being, it was natural that his senses were enhanced since birth, since both his physical and mental development was exponentially growing until he was two. At the age of one, he was able to run as fast as an Olympic runner, which was strange when he asked his mother why she never spoke to him about the infant years. Additionally, doctors had considered him being a hemeralopiac, but that was due to the fact that they had used the average benchmark of humans to compare to his senses. His father had clarified the situation to his mother when she grew concerned for his condition, stating that his hyper adapted eyesight was built more for night vision than normal children. As such, they ordered anti-glare glasses for him, which allowed his sight to adapt during his childhood until it was tolerable without them.

However, as the young Rutabaski still had that excellent night vision he always had, the inner urge to fight was prompting him to take control of the situation in a lethal manner. As it began to deteriorate his moral inhibitions of the sense of humanity, the first order of business was to release himself from the enemy's imprisonment.

"Where are you, Bastard!" He pulled up a flashlight to check on the hostages, fiddling with the switch as his thumbs were larger than it would allow.

Taking the sound of his voice to locate exactly what to do, Taritsu leap through the cage and quickly struck the man hard with an axe kick to his arms. Hearing that his partner had made it through, Henry grabbed an iron bar and wrapped it around the pained man's extremities. "That should keep him from being a bother."

He grabbed the flashlight which T.N.T. had dropped and checked on everyone. However, he ignored Taritsu, who was frightened by what had just happened.

'_What... just happened? One moment I was in the cage, locked onto the bars, then the lights went out and I..._' He looked at the howling bulk, cursing the fact that he was careless and gotten captured. A large gash was on his shoulder, with a great profusing of blood flooding away from it, making the boy shudder in horror of what had occurred. '_I-I couldn't have...I would have remembered doing that._' He was torn apart on whether to ease the bulk's suffering or wish that more should have been applied to punish his enemy.

"Don't feel so bad about him." Henry pulled him out of his conflicting thoughts. Having already opened the cage to allow everyone else to leave and escape, the workers were anxious to leave, but their Supervisor commanded that they remained orderly. Knowing the two weren't going anywhere soon, he stood before them with questions of his own.

* * *

As morning classes ended, Stephanie had slowly packed up her belongings as her mind wandered at the fact in which both Kujo and Joakam weren't present at all. In fact, since lunch the other day, neither her friend nor the boy were seen, so it worried her. As everyone left the room one of her classmates wanted to invite her, but seeing as she was pensive and hadn't been paying much attention to them, left when her friends told her it was better to keep silent. Of course, they did speak about how she was curious of their absences, so they left, giggling at the girl's inability to decipher her feelings.

After a while, Stephanie decided on going for a walk, since she figured the cafeteria was already full and the lines were probably queued to capacity. '_I could eat later anyway. Besides, I do want to learn what else there is available._'

The other day, Stephanie had visited the library, resource center, and the Advisory building, where her homeroom teacher had gladly given her information about. Shizuka had recommended she'd either join or create a club, and she wanted to do just that with Kakarotto, but she couldn't find her that evening. So she settled to catch her the next day and speak to her on that regard. '_Wait. Didn't Jotaro say Kakarotto's name is also Charlotte? It sounds funny, but it does seem to fit._'

While searching around, she didn't find Kakarotto where she last remembered her classroom, so she decided on asking Shizuka if she knew anything about her friend. Just as she did however, Amy confronted her. "_Tam vy_, Yukinoshita." She happily greeted her roommate, only to realize the embarrassing fact that her language wasn't properly studied outside of Bukreyevka.

"Sorry, I believe I should have said "_There you are_". Anyhow, I was meaning to ask you this morning if you know anything about a rumor going around, specifically on someone named Rutabaski. I hear that a member of that household is enrolled here and I'd like to meet one."

That name sounded quite familiar to Stephanie. However, what she remembered was not Kyousuke Rutabaski, at least, that was what she thought she didn't remember. For all she knew, his last name could had been anything, but it did connotate a meaning of "wolf". '_It has to be pure coincidence that we're in the same school._'

"Unfortunately, I have no clue as to who Rutabaski is. However, I might have seen someone, but haven't learned their name; enlighten me please."

Amy sighed, seeing as her goal was set back a few months than she'd like. Remembering her aspirations, she chose the best words to describe her person of interest. "Rutabaski: has green eyes and dark hair. Incredibly fast, and well...represents an ideal. Does that ring any bells?"

'_That's... oddly vague and specific. Green eyes and dark hair... no, obviously not Kyousuke, but it does fit Kujo. And that bit on being incredibly fast? I don't think he's any faster than an athlete; track running records for sure, but Olympic levels might be a stretch._' "No, I don't think I know someone like that."

"Oh," Amy took a few moments to ask another question. This time, she went with her second person of interest. '_Maybe he's able to help..._' "What about someone named Valogna?"

At this, Stephanie took a double take. Had her roommate read her mind? She didn't think so; Amy seemed sweet and a bit rough around her speech manner, but overall she was considerate. "I'm actually friends with a Kakarotto Valogna. I was looking for him just moments ago, but I haven't seen him since yesterday. Also, I'm not sure what classroom he's in, so I figured on asking the faculty about that."

Smiling at her success, Amy asked another question to coax out what she could out of her. Of course, she did feel uneasy about taking advantage of her roommate, but she did her best to remind herself that it was necessary. "Just one question though. Wouldn't it be easier to check the institute's roster system?"

'_I haven't thought of that. Hmm, Amy's pretty resourceful._' "Alright, we'll use the computers. Lets head back to the room and check there."

"I'm afraid by the time we get that done, Valogna would already have left. Our room is further away here than the computer lab. Besides, they have kiosks there, so we don't have to log in and go through all that hassle." She pointed out a logical alternative.

* * *

"Valogna, keep them from rebooting the system. Lest our hard work will be lost and I'd have to find another backdoor to sneak into."

"How do you do that exactly?" Charlotte had little experience with computer science, especially when it came to programming an entire system that was written in a language that she knew nothing about. However, Anthony apparently knew what it said, enough to work with the system as if he owned the intellectual property.

"Ignore all those words you are reading. It's Pyrastrean, so there's no viable system of literature you know that can help you decipher. Instead, focus on the syntax... here... and here. Add this script to that line."

Seeing all this, Vejita was satisfied that his team was taking the initiative. Had they not done what they needed to do, their team mates would have remained trapped and subject to that bulk. T.N.T. was his code name, and it seemed that the group which had broken in the company facility were using experimental technology; at least that was Vejita's take on the situation. Anthony, however, was busy using the surveillance footage and incorporating it for a cross reference comparison on the web. He believed that what Carnot Cool had said rang a bell, and it was true since a few months ago, there was a time when government funding had been invested in cooling technology.

"Uh... Pioneeri, what's the situation on those too?"

"Normal and ready to catch the other two. Why do you ask?"

Withholding information without any strong evidence was a bad thing when it came to reporting one's findings, but it'd also leave a bad taste in Anthony's mouth if he didn't. From what he found out, Carnot Cool was a physics major specialized in the field of Thermodynamics, legally named _Leonard K. Coolidge_, and his profile indicated that he had a few of his projects rejected. Additionally, they had stopped funding him when they figured out how to keep automation units cool under the heat of the sun, so he was practically abandoned and denied a future. Seeing as the scientific community in Sagratia wouldn't take him seriously anymore, thanks to some hotshot named _Eric Mardon_, a specialist who studied Climatology and had happen to accidentally discover the technology that would shield components from the sun's rays. Ironic as the same technology that was supposed to solve the Ozone depletion issue simply lengthened corporations to continue with their habitat destruction mining without "risking" any more lives.

"Well, I have a formulating motive as to why they are doing this."

Both Charlotte and Vejita stopped breathing, interested in what their acquaintance had to offer. For one to know everything he did, at a variety of skills and knowledge, they came to wonder what kind of education Anthony had. However, their speculations were simply far off; the reason Anthony knew a lot was thanks to his eidetic memory and the supercomputer his father had exclusively built for him as a keepsake. Of course, his father and brother knew very well that the boy was able to formulate a lot in his mind as well, analyzing things faster than an ordinary mathematician professor could, and had once been diagnosed with ADHD. However, it had turned out that while Anthony's physicians and psychiatrists were keeping tabs on his disability, they came to a surprising discovery that he had possessed. Without fault, the boy had recited everything they had written down, including entries from sessions prior. Extensive research on him became priority, and it was soon discovered that the boy had Low Latent Inhibition. No one knew where and how he had developed that, but Anthony's theory was the extended lung capacity he had been born with. Of course, it wasn't plausible, but doctors had noticed how much more active were his mental functions compared to other patients.

"I have three theories on this actually. Theory one: Our perpetrator has financial issues. Their leader, Leonard Coolidge, has ran out of money and decided to engage in robberies for the money. However, seeing as theory two: they want revenge, fits better in this context, I guess we can elaborate on that. Lastly, theory three: It's a distraction, doesn't necessarily match up with what's been happening. Besides, security is on high alert and they're on lock down, so whatever they're doing, it's got to do something about revenge."

"That all sounds nice, the motive behind revenge, but exactly why and how does Coolidge need to target corporations like this? Manufacturing companies don't seem like it'd wield interest to a thermodynamics physicist." Ask Vejita, enjoying the fact that they have gotten somewhere within the first day. Had he the means to contact the others, he'd tell them to stay in place so that they could learn what their culprits were trying to pull, but interrogating them would work as well.

"First off, Coolidge was known to have been developing cooling technology. One of his thesis papers included the utilization of technology and preventing further glacial melting. However, when the government contracted him, they had entirely different plans for his technology; they wanted mechanical units that wouldn't fry in direct sunlight, so they specified their contracts on that point. Seeing as he had no alternatives, Coolidge went with it and tried what he could. Yet, there were no breakthroughs, until a climatologist—Eric Mardon—had accidentally come across a system that would shield components from the sun's rays. Mardon had intended it for mesospheric conditions—where the sun's rays would radiate higher concentrations of solar flare activities registering there, but the industries were far more interested in the conservation properties it had in preserving the electronics. Thanks to this development, Coolidge's efforts were no longer necessary and he was rejected everywhere else he had applied for after that."

"So he's out to destroy Mardon's technology."

"Not necessarily. Mardon's technology is a scientific advancement, and Coolidge can't deny that it has benefits, but the overlying issue intertwines both scientists. You see, Coolidge wanted to preserve the state of the world by preventing glacial melting, while Mardon tried to discover how to reverse the damage done to our ozone layer; both are sustainability projects. However, when the industries caught word of the new development of technology, Mardon's discovery was bought and allowed for further abuse of the environment, since now the government got what they wanted—and corporations could expand their net income without losing access to valuable resources. A win-win for the 1%, but a major catastrophe for everyone else. It really makes me sick seeing how petty people are when it comes to making profit, so I can't help but agree with Coolidge on what he's doing."

Vejita silently agreed with him. Although he condoned such actions himself, having been raised in a nation that promoted self moral practices allowed him to understand that Coolidge was doing what he felt was the correct means of action. It was evident by how he didn't necessarily harm anyone, but he would still need to serve time for breaking the law. Suddenly, he realized, that what he knew wasn't conveyed to the other two. "How quickly can you get a hold of them?"

* * *

Having extracted all the files they needed for their mission, Frege and Carnot Cool left the archive room before they would be surrounded with no escape.

"Oh, almost forgot to sabotage their production line." Frege pull out a special jump drive which had the means to infect the company's progress as they had done to five other companies while escaping with everything they needed for reverse engineering.

"Good. It's done, Carnot."

"Excellent Frege. Quickly now; Ecological Associates for Sequential Youth needs to start producing contingencies at an accelerated rate. We already have the fifth technology we need, and it seems this company doesn't have much to offer, other than another one of those files from Light Labs." He stated, disgusted with how a company founded in Kairne had been supplying the technology which Sagratia had been using for destructive means.

A popup file appeared on the screen, prompting both men to question exactly what their findings were. Seeing as it was in Pyrastrean, they had no choice but stay in the room a while longer to decode it. "Huh. Looks like they've been keeping a side project hidden away, Carnot."

Coolidge read the file's contents, understanding what exactly was_ it_ that the Pyrastrenean government was hiding from their collaborators. Whatever it was, it was labeled "DAN-000", and seemed to have been a report on recovering a special order some fifteen years ago. Additionally, it detailed the remains of a lab in the arctic, including their findings of what was in there and a small passage on a hidden compartment that held a second project.

"That's strange. They stated that it's a clone from 1979, but the concept for cloning haven't been developed until 1983." Frege noted how they had recovered a viable subject that was considered "completely functional" and "still in development". There wasn't much images on that discovery, but Coolidge destroyed the screen and began freezing the mainframe as soon as he heard incoming footsteps.

Without a word, both men readied themselves for whoever it was going after them, both armed with their respective technology and a tripwire that would activate when they would cross it unsuspectingly. A moment later, the hall was silent, and neither of them could tell if they had given up or awaited for them to make the first move. "_On my signal, clear a path out of this room and I'll hold them back. Ready?_"

Frege couldn't reply, since he had been cut off by the steel door busting open, akin to their partner's method of clearing access points. Before the smoke could clear, Coolidge set his weapon to flash freeze and blasted the floor in front of the enemy so that they'd slip from the lack of friction. Fortunately his prediction was partly correct, since things became more advantageous for Taritsu as his speed drastically increased in an instant. Having used the motion to propel himself off the control panel and tackle the man down, Taritsu had to take a moment to determine what was the best method to disarm his target.

"Boss, use the emissions. It's the only way." What Frege was suggesting was petrifying the boy's cells to the molecular level, and doing so would put a risk to the stability of Coolidge's invention. Of course, he wasn't foolish enough to go along with it, but Coolidge did find himself considering the possibility.

"N-No. I'm not risking murder. If I'm caught, then it'll be left at that. Don't just stand there; get going!"

Taritsu unconsciously increased his grip on the man when he felt him squirming around to throw him off, and unknowingly drew the coolant from it's containment system, allowing Coolidge to escape as his enemy was becoming stiff. As the boy fell off, Coolidge watched him in horror and speechless at the boy's doomed life. Seeing his gasping for air as the water vapor in his lungs were quickly freezing and injuring his vital organs as it transferred all of the internal body heat to confront the coolant on his clothes, Coolidge didn't realize that the second one had just entered the room and charged right at him.

Thinking quickly, he used the physical properties of the icy floor and kicked one of the tables towards his enemy, who had jumped up and held onto the ceiling by the tips of his fingers—having utilized what little he knew of energy manipulation. Shooting the area where he was latched onto, Coolidge caused Henry to let go and fall onto of the table bellow for a devastating blow.

Successfully stalling him, he jumped into the escape route and applied what little he had left of the coolant to freeze it shut. Whether that individual would live or die wasn't his fault, he reminded himself. It was simply an accident of pure circumstance, nothing more, nothing less.

"Darn." He looked over at his partner—who had been harmed by the enemy—as he did his best to heat up his fingers from the cold singe the metal ceiling had. Seeing him shudder from the heat loss, Henry tried to remove the boy's clothing to prevent freezing entirely. Barely even touching it, he reeled back from the sensation of heat loss, then tried once again by using the broken table pieces to do the work, resulting in the similar effects once again. There had to be another way to aid his endangered partner.

Seconds had passed until a team of respondents in the company had arrived at the alarm that their lab had given off at the destruction of their mainframe, and seeing the two, the pointed their weapons at them. Since Henry wasn't knowledgeable of their language, he didn't know whether they would aid or not, but he went on to try anyway.

Seeing this, one of the members reached for their radio and called in for help. "_N__am nuzhen medik._"

"Oh, thanks for understanding. The perpetrators had escaped through there. Quickly while they're still in the facility."

"_Stoyat'_" They commanded as they held their aim at the boy. Since Henry had forgotten that they neither had any lab coats, they wouldn't be as easily tolerated since they had been strangers to their company. So complying to their wishes in order to prolong their life was necessary if he wanted to get out safely. '_In a few moments, I'll bust my way out. Just need to have them out of range before engaging them. Can't risk Rutabaski's life, especially since he's in critical condition._'

"Alright, Alright." He got up, taking a few experimental steps forward. Still awry of him, the rest of the group pointed their weapons at the teen, satisfying Henry's expectations, prompting him to initiate the escape plan.

Launching forward with no indicative motive, they were startled and reacted slower than he did at taking one of them out. With gloves and baton in hand, Henry, quickly went off to knock the others out before they could be much more of a threat. Ignoring the bullets they pumped out from their AB-762 as they did nothing to him as they simply bounced off like rubber, whilst Taritsu had recovered enough of his health to move about. Seeing the boy go after what remained of their mainframe, they shot at his back, penetrating his skin but not leaving fatal or chronic damage. Hearing his pain, Henry knocked the last of them unconscious and grabbed his comrade for their escape.

"Don't worry man. You'll be okay, I promise."

Since he could only find the strength to nod without any pain, Taritsu did just that as Henry ran past the assembly room and past the bulk. Having to choose between either escaping without any evidence or risking his the boy's life more than he could probably take, Henry opted to appeal to the sympathetic choice. Running into the closed, 16 inch thick steel door, Henry utilized the powerful force his energy oriented body allowed him to manipulate and bust it apart, as he carried the boy with him while sprinting as quickly as possible, and hijacking a Sherpa snowmobile before the facility guards could chase them.

Their mission was a failure, but at least they were able to collect information they had from the encounter.

* * *

Charlotte was engrossed as she heard the audio of the security tape once more. She wanted to disregard that it was true, but the clip indicated that her closest friend was now in critical condition, being that they had all heard the massive gun fire and she happened to have heard the grunt of Taritsu—likely having been shot by a stray bullet. The other two remained silent at what they had heard as well, knowing that bullet wounds usually led to blood loss and shock, then—if untreated—leads to death. Additionally, they didn't question how she was taking the news, but as Anthony observed the girl after stating that there was little hope for Taritsu—if he was shot and wounded—he gained valuable insight on the girl. He noticed certain quirks and features about her that reassured him what his initial classification on her was, thanks to how she reacted to his insensitive comment. Satisfied that he had successfully done so on discovering what she was hiding, Anthony reminded himself to remained quiet, since he wasn't thrilled by the idea of ruining the mood more than he needed in the first place.

While he did so, Vejita was carefully observing the youngest male, "Kakarotto", for any signs of distress when he had learned of the same news as they did. He knew how close those two boys were; even since they had officially met each other in early 1998, Vejita knew that the young Rutabaski and Valogna had a strange attraction towards the other. Hell, when his father had told him that he would get to teach the young boy that day in the AN conference, he imagined having his own apprentice. Little did he know that the kid was a know-it-all, and having not been around him during his childhood, he let him run off to do whatever he wanted with Valogna. How could he have known that Baragus was looking to assassinate the boy?

If it hadn't been for Kakarotto's quick thinking, the boy would have died, and that was perhaps one of the reasons they were really close. Vejita was really never involved with either of them; rather than experiencing things with the two, they had looked up to him like an aloof big brother—and a bad one at that. Hell, even when they were training martial arts for 10 months, Kakarotto rarely gave means to trust either of the two, but did consider having Taritsu as "his" sparring partner. There was also the time when he saw the two sneaking off to see a meteor shower one night. Practically everything they did was together, and he didn't believe it was anything particularly discouraging. From what his father had told him years ago, it was necessary that things might as well stay like that, since having a strong development of emotional health was vital for the boy's future.

'_I'm not jealous. I'm just... displeased is all. He'll live, I'm sure of it since he's healing factor is powerful enough to withstand normally fatal events, but this... Why set them up to suffer greatly in the future? It just doesn't make any sense!_'

A knock on the door made the girl leave her post, allowing Anthony to put away all of their equipment before someone else would see what they were doing. Vejita was also brought out of his train of thought, realizing that he hadn't put away everything they had out from their investigative session, and panicked at the suggestive thoughts he had if caught. Doing what little he could, Vejita quickly stood in front of the pile of equipment he could hide behind his frame and awaited for "Kakarotto" to make the visiting party leave. His eyes widened seeing that it was a pair of females that came to look for "him", bringing a devious smirk on his face.

"Afternoon Kakarotto." Stephanie began with a friendly cheer in her voice. It was reassuring to Charlotte that her other friend was here; perhaps she could help her ignore the negative thoughts surrounding Taritsu's life, but it apparently had alerted the girl before she could choose a different topic to speak of.

"What's wrong?" Stephanie asked, thinking that she may have gotten into a fight with "Kujo". As she asked, Amy took a look into the lab room, making Vejita's worry escalate. If these two were snooping around, they might alert the faculty members what had happened, and it would land them into trouble. So thinking quickly, he settled for "Kakarotto" to handle the prying females.

"Nothing. I'm just hungry, and could go for a meal right now." She lied. What ache in her was the fact that this time, Taritsu could in fact be dying, and there was no recovery for that if Anthony's analysis was correct. She wanted to prove him wrong, but seeing as they had made so much progress thanks to him, it'd be difficult to do so. So instead, she tried to be strong and have faith that her closest friend could hang on to dear life and survive the hypothermia inducing coolant. Eying Vejita for any additional support, she learned that he wanted them out of the lab... and that he gave her a thumbs up for some reason. Since this was a period in which they couldn't do much more, Charlotte understood that Vejita was simply allowing her to leave, under the condition that she'd take the other two away from their investigations while they cleaned up and hid all the evidence of them ever being in the computer lab.

As such, Charlotte took her leave and closed the door behind her, whilst Vejita unknowingly smiled at the fact that the kid wasn't placing as of "his" emotional needs onto one person as he had originally feared. Seeing this, Anthony scoffed and shook his head disapprovingly, believing that his acquaintance was perverted as the girl was taking the other two for a strategic outing—for the team obviously.

Walking behind the two girls, Amy noticed as the one who her roommate referred to as "_Kakarotto Valogna_" didn't match the profile she was given. However, since she had politely requested for aid, acting rude now would place her only lead at unobtainable heights.

"_Anou_, Kakarotto-kun. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind me asking..." Stephanie paused in between her request, noticing how distraught her friend was. It became more apparent to her that she wasn't actually speaking to her of what was on her mind, but Stephanie was understanding that—for some reason unbeknownst to her—she could read the true feelings of other. Charlotte was no different than a book to her; her appearance may seem to have a great cover up to how anxious she was, antsy even, but Stephanie could tell exactly what was on her mind the moment she focused on her friend.

'_This might seem insensitive, but I don't want to alarm anyone._' "Would you like to start a club with me?" Her question was thrown out as she looked at her friend expectantly, as well as hoping that she'd open up a little more on what was going on.

"Of course, I'd be happy to." Charlotte kept a bright smile, allowing Amy to be satisfied by her answer and leave her be. However, despite the two friends sharing a common interest in creating what they spoke of, neither knew if they could in such conditions. Amy—being that she pieced together all she needed to know—decided on doing them a favor, leaving the two girls to speak in regards of the underlying issue.

"Ah, I see. So Kujo isn't here because he's been out running errands. Well don't worry, I'm sure he can handle himself; I wouldn't be surprised if someone like him runs into trouble all the time. I mean, he's got to have if he's been sent on his own, right?"

"Well, yes... I believe that's true for someone like... _Jotaro-san_. It's just that I've been with him long enough to know what he gets himself into. Perhaps he does manage to get out safely, although with a few bruises here and there, but that doesn't excuse near death experiences."

Stephanie didn't know what else to say, so she found herself settling for a western saying. "Well, whatever doesn't kill him makes him stronger, right? The more experience he has, the less likely he could die from accidents and what not."

Charlotte nodded slowly, feeling much more relieved in confiding with her friend. At least now she could breath calmly again.

"Well, it's getting awfully late, now that classes will begin again soon. How about we spend our time together later?"

"Sure."

* * *

Now in mid flight, traveling back towards the familiar harbor in the Srolst isles, Henry kept an eye on his injured companion. He had a number done to him thanks to those bullet wounds, that was for sure, and having suffered from the health endangering effects of heat loss, it was simply amazing that he hadn't passed out. '_I guess this is what they mean by acceleration._'

At that moment, he eyed the boy as he was turning in his sleep, which—due to the effects of the bullets rupturing his muscles and lodged between his tendons and bones—groaned at the dull pain. Seeing this, Henry tried remembering exactly what where the functions of the control panel that allowed for auto-pilot flight, but ultimately the intensity of the boy's pain was getting worse as he had strayed a bit into turbulence. As such, he disregarded his plan and focused on piloting them back to the institute. When they would arrive, the first thing they'd do is take him to the sick bay.

Gradually, the groans became less and less frequent, and finally, Henry became interested in the fact that his companion had gone silent. Did he pass out from the pain? Was he knocked out, thanks to his horrible piloting skills? Those seemed all plausible, and it worried the older teen as his hands literally determined the life of another. Apply too much force would risk his life by placing him unconscious, and taking things slow would delay any window of opportunity that they had at saving him. If only he had been able to attend to the young teen's wounds before they had took off.

The ripping sound of bandage wrap filled the compartment room, distracting Henry from his negative train of thought. Behind him was the young teen, already recovered from the majority of his pain and doing his best to sanitize the wounds he had. A first aid pack had its seal broken, indicating that he rarely had to do this, but from what Henry could see from the reflections up in front, the boy was able to tell exactly where the 5.45x39 mm rounds had halted in his body. Additionally, his pain tolerance was indicatively high, as there seemed no whimper or discomfort in conducting the process. Like clock work, he reached in, grabbed the projectiles and threw them away, then closed it up with makeshift needlework before proceeding as he had learned in his medical science classes. For all that Henry knew, he wasn't informed that the individual had known or had field experience in regards to situations like this.

"Hey, uh... we're close to landing. You might want to get that checked soon, so don't seal it completely. Just do what you can to prevent any more blood loss."

He was given a blank, dead stare, seemingly violent and intending to personally attack him, but fortunately that wasn't the case behind Taritsu's expression. No, in fact, this wasn't Taritsu's reaction, but the inhabitant residing within him prompting the boy to follow his instructions and remember what he had learned. After taking and implementing the advice, Taritsu was able to focus on his surroundings, noticing how he had been placed inside the plane he owned. On the pilot's seat was Henry, doing his best to lead them back home, and it came to pass that the boy began rummaging around his clothing for a certain piece of technology he was able to get his hands on.

"...I left it here somewhere."

"What exactly?"

"A memory module. They sabotaged the company's computer for some reason, so I took what I could salvage. Whatever it was that they found, it's obvious that the group doesn't want others to know." He informed while lifting up the seats, thinking that it may have slipped underneath. "Anyway... enough about that. I'm actually intrigued by what you did back there."

"What? When I tanked their ammunition and kicked their sorry asses? Excuse my language by the way."

Taritsu shook his head while vocally disapproving the thought. "No, I meant the part where you were clinging to the ceiling when he slid the table at you. How did you do that?" He was wondering what properties Henry was taking advantage of, since it was obviously not static he was utilizing, so Taritsu wondered if he could simplify and use a technology to compensate in the mean time. Perhaps the use of a cooling superconductor could benefit him. The cooling applications that Carnot Cool had used against him did augment his speed to a higher degree than he was used to, so perhaps he could complete two tasks with one invention if he had to.

"Oh, that." Henry chuckled at the implications. It seemed nothing could go unnoticed by the Rutabaski family when it came to their techniques. "That was just a skill I learned from the time I was training myself to control my abilities. It isn't much, and I don't think it's incredibly applicable in all situations. You may or may not know this, but I have a small affinity for energy manipulation. It may not be a whole lot, but techniques—like that surface cling earlier—are special advantages I can utilize. In fact, I think you can learn it; I mean, it was your great grand father—Juliano Marzo—who employed it."

That made him wonder about his paternal grandfather's father. Did he even know anything about the man, or had he completely overlooked the former _Padrone_ because his grandfathers never spoke or brought it into a conversation before? "Ah, found it."

In his hands was the chip, which—according to him—was to aid them with their investigation. However, as the conditions of that module left it in a horrible state, Henry didn't know whether the boy would even utilize it. Hell, the files in it may have even been corrupted; seeing his look of determination however, reminded him that there was more than enough means to extract the information. They just had to trust in the fact that he knew what he was doing.

Standing up on his two feet made Taritsu grunt from a quick surge of pain where his wounds were. Holding himself on the seat for support, Henry noticed how the boy had expertly wrapped his injured self. From what he knew, the bandages may have been wrapped, but the injuries were still requiring that he'd rest. As such, he urged him to seat and lay back, letting him worry about their flight. "Just remember not to fall asleep on me. I don't have a gurney around to carry you safely, so stay awake as long as possible until we make it to the institution's interior."

"_Yare, Yare..._" He replied, tiring from the injuries and wanted sleep. His thoughts drifting, the last he could coherently make of his mind was seeing if there was a way to improve his running. Perhaps applying the effects of surface clinging could help prevent later instances where running after an enemy would make him slip, and cause him to fail because he missed his target and applied the force onto the dangerous containers.

* * *

While the two were cleaning up and reorganizing the old literature in the library inside the palace, Johannes heard his wife exclaim in awe of her discovery. He chuckled to himself, noting how similar his wife and grandson's exclamation of fascination was. However, he did not doubt the fact that he too was interested in what she had found. Joining her in the next room through a closed passage hidden behind one of the book shelves, he found the old study which his father had told him about.

'_There's a lot of diagrams here._' He picked up one of the documents that was stored away on each of the labeled shelves. It was a detailed account of what the former _Padrone_ had been doing for most of his adolescence before he considered seeking a spouse. Although he wasn't well educated in the subject, he understood that the diagram currently in his hands was something of a rather extraordinary fact. '_This isn't any ordinary material he was writing about. Just what did Padre have in mind with this?_'

"Catalina, do you know what this is?"

She looked at the diagram as well, but couldn't reply with a description he was looking for. "No. Do you?"

He grumbled, disliking the fact that he and his wife were never interested in the subjects of higher learning. True, they were both socially adept and well organized in what they knew—Johannes in history and Catalina in social justice—but compared to their son and grandson, they were considered less reliable for any meetings pertaining to the sciences. One would wonder how in the world Johannes managed without her in the three decades she was absent, but the fact was that the current _Padrone_ was always referring to history on what to do, applying all he could and allowing his "Grandmother" to help whenever he was clueless. It was hilarious seeing him settle things, as Catalina noted, but her husband was incredibly reliable and always addressed all of the requirements for a persisting problem.

In fact, the other year, several occurrences of Kairne's agriculture were underdeveloped, leading up for possible strains in produce availability. However, since the authorities in charge of agriculture found it was convenient to simply utilized what methods they could, collected what was available and stored it, before using the slash and burn technique. Of course, Johannes—being an educated historian—had known that the method would negatively impact the social environment, and advised them that it would be better using a crop rotation system, and have the non-utilized soil treated by natural means to acquire high soil fertility. That meant planting a few perennial legumes to stimulate the microbial population, preparing the land for the next season when it is fertile and ready.

"No. There seems to be a similarity in my father's documents and Mauricio's, and I do believe he can understand what this means. Granted, I would have him translate what it all means, but he's busy."

Frowning, Catalina wanted to suggest the fact that perhaps their son could do something about it. "R-_Sedrick_ does have a background in the field, doesn't he?" Her constant use of his name was called up upon by her granddaughter one day, and she wanted to do something about it. As such, she caught herself in the habit and tried the form his children and friends knew him by.

"Unfortunately, our son hadn't entertained the thought. Seeing as the stories I told him and the fact that Kairne's competitors have been conditioning him to believe he is royalty, Riccardo's priorities have been in being a public servant. Of course, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but even if it does simplify the work I have to do, Riccardo neglected searching for his own calling. However, from what I know, he enjoys sociology, so I guess he is happy doing what he does for a living." He eyed his wife, who was pouting at him, wondering why he was pressuring her to revert to her old terms. Chuckling at the realization, Johannes assured her that there wasn't anything wrong with how they referred their family, since it was them who named their son.

"Well then, what of Pioneeri?"

"Vasilis is preoccupied with his own projects. Additionally, I do not believe he would like to analyze everything my father left behind. I'm sure neither you nor Cesare enjoyed applying that skill he had developed in his time."

With a swift punch to his shoulders, Catalina indicated the message that she did not want him reminding her of that. How tiresome and draining practice was with that; of course, her father-in-law did inform her mother that there were ways to improve their Hadou training, so he left Elisa Vargas a small training regimen for when the time came. As they were messing around, Johannes noticed a note slip out of the desk and picked it up. It appeared to be a letter addressed to him.

"Jojo, is something wrong?" She asked as he had gone dead silent. The contents of the letter weren't triggering per say, but they did remind Johannes of a promise his father wanted to keep. More specifically, he wanted to teach his son all he knew and acquired his life, but seeing as he didn't think he'd make it, left him his study. Additionally, it had a series of directions, all which pertained to a concept he hadn't heard about for nearly 36 years; Grunde Schützen had been theorizing and piecing together similar projects as his father's directions spoke of, which was strange. His father was more involved in the field than his grandson in a positive manner that accepted input from nonscientific communities to voice their concern, so it was probably likely for the man to have been interested in the mystical aspects of the world.

"N-nothing, Lina. It's just," he tried mustering the best form of phrases for what he had learned, but failed in doing so. For all his intentions, Juliano Marzo had intended his son to follow his footsteps and continue his research, but neither having a proper educational background and being responsible for the nation, he could not do so. However, not wanting his father's efforts go to waste, he held himself with high conviction. "I'm sure Mauricio wouldn't mind learning of this family secret. We'll ship what we can to Amadeus first thing tomorrow." '_I may have to ask Valeria what she knew about padre._'


	17. Chapter 17

**Arc II**

**Chapter 4**

**Projects and Training  
**

* * *

Hours since the alarm had sounded, a lone rider of a winter weather accustomed cycle stopped on the overpass which allowed one to see a facility at the edge of the Ledruan scenery. Wearing a high tech suit—which the material resembled high quality leather—with a interstellar, space-traveling helmet, the individual was certain that no one would know the true identity whilst spying. Utilizing the internal technologically advanced binoculars on the helmet, the individual cycled through the modes as the superiors had specifically asked that clues be extracted from the site. Apparently seeing an emissions trail from what seemed to be a highly advanced aviation jet, the individual settled on recording that for the report.

'_Hopefully this would be satisfying work for them. My brother wouldn't like me doing this, but I have to if we're to live peacefully again._'

A series of electronic beeps notified this person of a new possible target at the site. Checking through the binoculars once again revealed that a small team of the international policing organization: the Bureau of Assassins and Leading Magnificents, had just come out of the facility. With the capacity to do so, the lone spy utilized one of the helmet's many auditory functions and eavesdropped on what the organization's members had beaten the spy to first.

"_Strange ammunition rounds, Burnes. I haven't seen anything like these. Eh? They're laced with some wierd substance._"

Hearing that, Burnes stopped her partner from making a fatal mistake of touching the ammunition with exposed contact. There was a reason why she was in charge of the current team, and it wasn't because currently Director Nick Miles had told her that she wasn't needed on the mission her newly makeshift team was called in to contain a experimental mistake that had caught BALM's contracted radiologist while determining whether or not the apparatus left by WUSS on top of the WTC was sterilized and safe for reverse-engineering. No, it was actually because her superior—Phillip K. Quinn—had asked her a favor in checking the facility, which Miles hadn't required profiling back when she was spying in Pyrastrene.

"Don't go off messing around with unknown objects, recruit. It may be carrying a highly fatal bio agent." Burnes explained, causing the recruit to falter and drop the rounds on the snow. Sighing, the level 7 BALM agent recounted what they had managed to find in her mind. A tied hostage—with arms wrapped in crudely bent metal—and obviously a member that was part of an intrusive theft crime. Additionally, there was a battle in the computer room; the scene had shown signs of struggle: the computer mainframe was trashed, slick ice was still present on the floor, and there was a small amount of blood found around the room. Fortunately the security in the facility had been dealt with before they arrived, so Burnes's team didn't have to struggle much in retrieving the information Agent Q needed.

"Amanda. Analysis has been completed. It's a match." The third individual exclaimed in finding a quick match. Usually this sort of procedure would have taken a few hours, but the machine took mere minutes to find the exact match. Wanting to know what they had found, Amanda Burnes received a bit of unsettling news.

"Taritsu Maurice Kyousuke Rutabaski. _Codename_: Sonic. There's no clearance level, but why does BALM have an individual such as him in the database?"

'_Rutabaski has joined the family business? Miles stated he wasn't allowed until he was at the age of consent, yet he's freelancing? I'm not sure if I should report this or ignore it._' "There's nothing to worry about with that. The profile you're reading is that of an ally associated with the organization. There's no need to issue an order that would compromise this individual. Besides, we have to hand it to him for having arrived here before us, handling the situation before investigating. Proceed as usual... and someone please find a way to contain the evidence. I do not want accidents while on the job."

Having heard enough, the spy had pieced together enough what was needed to know. '_Rutabaski... isn't he the one they are currently decoding the DNA of?_' Considering the alternatives, the spy had developed a devious plan. '_Alright Rutabaski, a symbiotic partnership between you and I shall be in order. Anyone who's capable of pushing Arlo Johnstonii to constantly change his elaborate plans should be worthy enough to be my partner as the next Scientist Supreme: Adrian De Folli._'

* * *

BAAAM!

The slammed opening of the door broke the progressive session Vejita and Anthony had organized. Together, they had gathered everything they needed thanks to the boy's quick thinking and tapping into the security feeds with their database. Due to that, they were discussing at the moment was the group's higher motives, which Anthony was able to gather from the facility's audio clips, before the rest of the encounter was sabotaged by Coolidge. As such, they reported to Director Amadeus Quinn as soon as they figured it was safe to do so without anyone imposing on them.

Turning around from their seats, both males looked up to see a heavily bandaged Taritsu, with his left eyelid half open and clutching a computer chip module in one hand. On the other was his clothes—the jacket and undershirt—which he had taken off to dry and placed in a container to avoid additional coolant exposure to the institute environment. Henry had advised him not to stray from the sickbay, but since he wanted to get his report in as soon as possible, the young boy ignored the recommendation and anyone who happened to comment on his boldness for walking out in such a display. Taritsu was especially annoyed by an attendant of the sickbay who had followed him around, insisting that he'd return.

"I'm terribly sorry Director Quinn. The boy had resisted against our restraints and ignored all warnings. I can send him to the probation officers if need be."

Amadeus gawked for a few seconds at the suggestion but stated that no such order would be issued. Seeing the condition that Taritsu was in did help her case, and seem likely that her patient was a bit on the loose mentality. However, with him being a Rutabaski, such irrational stubbornness was typical and Quinn wouldn't have expected any less from the boy, even if everyone that knew him personally stated that he was a rational thinker. To some degree, that family inherited spirit would show itself some way or another. "You really shouldn't have bothered with the boy, Karilla. Do me a favor and have an order of pain killers delivered to his room."

"But sir, how could you possibly disregard his health? The condition he is in is likely to have knocked an adult male unconscious!"

There was no backing down from either side. Karilla was following her duty and focusing on the best method to aid Taritsu's recovery; he was hurt, with his body temperature higher than average and likely infected due to the bullet wounds. Knowing the story behind Taritsu's condition, Amadeus sighed and asked her to follow his directions. "I'd need you to understand, the boy is in optimal conditions."

"Director, he has bloodied bandages and I'm more than certain that he's in pain. The prescriptions you're asking for would simple address symptoms, not anything critical that is the problem."

As they were debating their reasoning, Taritsu merely focused in unwrapping his bandages, exposing the skin underneath. To her surprise, the wounds he had were now healed, appearing to her as simple bruises he'd get from fisticuffs. The expression on her face brought Anthony to snigger, while Vejita was actually worried from what he had noticed. There—in the very center of the bruise—was a minuscule sized wound that Taritsu hadn't healed. Vejita then concluded he was likely still healing; seeing him stagger in pain confirmed the opposite, as well as back up Quinn's request for pain killers. '_If what father stated was true, then there is something wrong with his energy distribution. This better be off the mark, and I really hope that I'm wrong... for once in my life._'

Without further protest, the nurse left to run the errand as her employer had asked, leaving the four individuals in the room free to speak.

"Thank you, Director Quinn. I was rather impatient in getting this back to my team. It seems that they have already gotten leads, but it doesn't hurt to have more clues." He spoke, with more confidence than what Amadeus had first seen in the boy when they met. It seemed to him that the missions his son provided had paid off with a good start. Not even the first day and the boy was showing growth in self-efficacy in regards to real world situations that would endanger him.

"I managed to snag this," he presented the module, which Anthony immediately took in his hands to determine whether or not it could be utilized. Since the technology was industry standard, he didn't see why it wouldn't work in opening its contents, but after scanning it for any malicious programs, the software indicated that it's files were corrupted. Even more so, it displayed an error along with it, which indicated that no ordinary technology that the school would provide could open the files.

"So? Just use a new model; should work fine."

"Unfortunately, Pioneeri, it seems the facility our teammates have infiltrated utilizes a specific version of modules. This one here is of the outdated models, the kind that isn't manufactured any more. The IBM is compatible, but it also isn't powerful enough to display everything that the module has stored. I'd either need you guys to get me new components, or risk using the personal computer I have back home to spyware."

"Hey, Anthony, why is it that you know all this computer terms and technical stuff? Aren't you more of a researcher than an IT?" Taritsu honestly wondered since the other night, but ignored confronting him about it until now. He was still wondering why Anthony was able to do what he did with the facility systems after the group ended up hacking into their security, so it was naturally an educated conclusion that neither Vejita nor Charlotte knew how to conduct such skills in the computer language with such professionalism.

He perked up, noting that his companion was acknowledging a bit of his personal life. Glad to know that he was capable of coming to a conclusion from the inductive reasoning Taritsu had, Anthony briefly smirked and responded exactly as he had done so days earlier. "I live with a brother who's a computer science major, with multiple PhDs in Physics, Electrical engineering, and an industrialist entrepreneur. Obviously, my education with computer technology is thanks to him, but the rest I've researched in my own time." He stated, matter-of-factually as he emphasized the fact that his elder brother had a superior discipline, much like a specific teen he knew and worked with.

Hearing that, Amadeus granted the boys the approval to run off in search of parts in a scavenger hunt to run the module, safely in an isolated, off-grid manner. However, a condition persisted, "If you are going to do this, I'd first need verification of what you found out. I do not like being played for as a fool, and lord knows how many times I've been through similar situations when my son came to ask permission for dangerous behavior."

"No problem," Vejita began, as the designated leader and face of the team. "So far we've figured out that IronHead Systems has been targeted for manufacturing a new line of robotics. They're automated androids, now capable of independent thought, though not the artificial intelligence breakthrough that scientists have been worried about for decades now. Apparently, what information the company has is classified on the schematics, but there are emails between it and a collaborator. "Advanced Ideas Mechanics" I believe, is the supporting company, but it was difficult to determine as the main company that provided the units was Light Labs."

The situation was thickening with each new piece of evidence. There was definitely a conspiracy going on between the companies, and Quinn seemed to understand the explanation profoundly. "Hmm. It seems this may get out of hand."

Amadeus, though knowing they were more than capable, didn't want them heading back to complete the mission. They may solve the mystery, but engaging in the field would land in another tragedy, like the one that occurred in 1963. "Listen boys. You may continue working on this mission; feel free to use all the resources you'd need. But promise me this: do not engage in any more field infiltrations. None of you are prepared for that, and fortunately enough, Rutabaski had Blakes to cover for him when he needed it. For now, do what you'd want, and train yourselves to improve. I commend you all for this team work."

They stood proudly, each smiling or wielding an expression of gratitude towards the Director. However, he was not yet finished. "Now, believe I have two messages sent to me this afternoon. The first comes from my son."

On the screen, they were presented with an email congratulating the group for their efforts and contributions. "It seems Phillip has already taken advantage of the situation and sent a second investigations team. They have custody of a single member of the infiltrating thieves, so an interrogation should be in order to establish a wayward point of where that signal may have been broadcasted to, Anthony. Additionally, he says that you'd shouldn't worry much about those you say in the facilities, and that they'll capture them soon enough."

Relieved, Taritsu felt himself feeling hungry, and as he announced that he was going to leave, Quinn stopped him. "The second message doesn't really concern the rest of you, so go ahead and retrieve your meals—as well as grabbing your team mate here his own. Maurice," he started once more. Eyes sharp and eager to finish up quickly so he would get going already, Taritsu followed Amadeus's words, devoting more energy into paying him the attention—rather than his stomach which urged him to eat. "I have good news for you."

"What kind?"

"Well. It goes like this actually: your paternal grandparents wanted to relay you this message. They have found something in the library... that you'd rather be interested in than the mission."

Presenting the boy what documents they could safely upload and attach to the email, Taritsu saw what he figured—at first glance—a drawing for what was a gauntlet device. A second attachment revealed that it was a part of an invention; a sketch of what seemed like strings and equations for tensile, sheer-force, and flexural strength indicated that what his grandparents were sending him was part of a material-chemical project. Additionally, a strange, never-before-seen chemical formula was written underneath, reminding him of a nylon composite formula.

"Huh? Is this something that Kairne's top scientists have developed and want me to try out for them?" He never did like how they tried running products through him, crowding his personal schedule. He may have known everything there is to know, and if he wasn't the world's, then he was Kairne's greatest scientist.

"N-no." Amadeus looked at the sketch once more, recognizing the design which he had seen when he was young. Only one man had the intelligence to utilize nature's miracles into scientific applications, and that same person was the only one who's Taritsu's superior. True, no one could beat the boy in strategy, bountiful scientific knowledge, or in battle these days, as it was true that the Rutabaski family has always been—in some form—an ally against corruption. However, Amadeus knew the one man who best Taritsu in all three, and probably still could to this day. "See this right there. The signature at the bottom? That is your great grandfather's: Juliano Marzo."

A puzzled look stuck itself on the boy, having not known who that was as neither grandparents spoke to him about the man. Realizing that Johannes may have inadvertently avoided speaking of his own father, in regards to his painful past at the loss of his father. Additionally, seeing as his grandson was strikingly similar to his father in discipline and work attitude, Johannes secretly feared that telling the boy would cause a self-fulfilling prophecy to initiate, so he kept quiet because of that as well.

'_Well... I have my work cut out for me._' Getting up to attend a bookcase at the other side of the room, Amadeus searched through the many journals he was left behind. In his possession was a series of scientific recordings regarding biological sciences, specifically ranging from Agriculture to Zoology, which included well refined information that Amadeus swore would not be published as the last promise the former Rutabaski had asked him to keep. He wanted no one to abuse his work, and wanted a successor, likely in the form of his son. That expectation wasn't met, but it wasn't until four decades later that his successor would appear to share an interest in his discipline. Taking the journal Juliano stated should be the first for his successor to read, Amadeus gave Taritsu the personal schedule planner that his great grandfather had kept.

"Huh? This is strange; did work days happen to be shorter in the past?" Taritsu didn't know it, but Amadeus had known that the man kept a sleep schedule that allowed for him to maximize his time awake, enabling him to keep a flexible schedule and utilize more of the 168 hours of the work week. What Juliano most likely wanted him to know was that there was many things the boy was dedicated to, but he still retained a sleeping schedule of an ordinary person.

"There is no mistake. See how the hours of each day are broken into four, 30 minute naps every six hours? That's what's considered by your great grandfather as the perfect method of maximizing work efficiency. However, jumping right into the routine is outright not recommended. Have you engaged in seistas before?"

Taritsu nodded, recognizing that he meant the sleep schedule for the biphasic cycle. He had engaged in it before, especially while he had spent long days at the university. Of course, it helped that Kairne had that national hour break in the afternoon that was mandatory for all industries, and Ravenwood Technical had them follow the schedule as well to refresh themselves. However, the difference between what he had managed and what the schedule called for was obvious: it'd essentially mean he could not spend his time messing around.

'_Huh, I have wanted to train both my Hadou skills and work in my science experiments. Maybe I should consider what the Director has informed me about._' "Alright, but one condition, Director Quinn."

Amadeus paid the utmost attention hearing such a domineering demeanor from the young scientist. Had it been anyone else, he wouldn't have given them the time of the day, but considering that he was the Rutabaski heir, there was almost no way he could refuse giving him his deserved attention.

"I'd like access to Brando island."

The words rang in his mind, making past memories accelerate as he was reminded by the experiences he had on that island. Although nowadays it was considered hazardous for one's health, Amadeus knew that the boy was more than capable of defending himself if push came to shove. Besides, part of his heritage involved that island, so he'd have to visit it in the future anyway. "Fair enough, Maurice." He replied, gathering his documents and ordering his office as he was getting ready to leave soon for a meeting. As he was about to go through the door, a thought came to him. "Say, I do recall your grandparents are shipping more documents of your great grandfather over to you. A great inheritance for one with a scientific background as you. Seeing as you have a vast diversity of knowledge in this sort of science, wouldn't it be a rich experience to recreate the experiments and inventions he had documented?" He stated, taking out a laminated card from his pocket business card holder. "I'll leave you to decide on that; feel free to utilize the institutes resources if you have to."

* * *

As the day came to an end, the fourteen year old felt a bit undernourished as he had taken his fifth bowl of food for dinner, as he always had done. Usually—as Vejita had noted—Taritsu had an appetite and capacity to eat five times more than the average person. Granted, he was a powerful runner, and needed most of that to revitalize himself for what was used throughout the day, Taritsu merely reminded himself that he wasn't supposed to eat a lot before bedtime either, so he took a few rounds outside of the school grounds while no one had noticed him sneak away.

Except, Vejita of course.

"Harboring secrets, are you now?" His interrogating demeanor taking control of the younger teen's behavior, Vejita observed him freeze in place. Smirking, he came up with an excellent idea. It had been a long time since the two had any moments of free time. "How about we spar, Taritsu? One-on-One, winner by knockout."

Taritsu gave a hearty laugh, amused by Vejita's intentions. '_...He's serious about it? I'd likely win._' "Alright. Don't say you didn't ask for this."

Having both studied the stances provided by their training, Vejita used a mixed stance that incorporated everything he had learned, as expected of his background. In contrast, Taritsu positioned himself in a failed, composite stance that was a cross between the horse stance and a weird positioning of his arms that resembled a crab defending itself, making him far more vulnerable than the _Vale Tudo_ style Vejita was taking up. Overall, the appearance the boy had was too much, that Vejita could not contain his laughter.

"What the hell is that?! You look like an overgrown crab. Seriously, always acting like a clown even when things are least expected."

Taritsu took the comment through one ear and out the next. He knew Vejita would criticize him for the experimental stance he came up with; ever since he had finished his Hadou training under the supervision of their sensei Gouken, Taritsu was left to experiment and perfect his own style that could incorporate his physical speed—without wasting valuable energy in the motions needed to utilize energy attacks. Of course, seeing as he wanted to keep it mainly a secret, the younger teen never really practiced much on opponents as doing so would require taking responsibility for any recklessness he could have prevented—had he been serious.

"Ah, I get it now. You're composing such a stance as a mix between your family cultures. The upper torso resembles both the parallel horizontal arm positioning of boxing, along with a semi-relaxed grip that your hands are currently in. Obviously that comes from your father's training when you were younger, and the form your hands are taking is akin to the Yuantouken fighting style found in Boruvia's island province country, _Yakonai_. As for the lower half of your body, I suppose you are using Gouken's recommended kata stance, but it's strange to me how you've positioned it." He made sure to prove his point by giving emphasis on the boy's stance being the inferior, passive version, rather than the alert one which Vejita was incorporating.

Instead of retorting, Taritsu reminded himself that it was necessary for what he was going to do. '_Wonder if he's able to keep up with me anyway?_'

Immediately, they engaged in battle. Mutually understanding the other's tactics, Taritsu evaded the older adolescent's jabs, then proceeded with a burst of fisticuffs that no regular human could effectively avoid. However, thanks to his training, Vejita was capable of leaning a couple degrees further away from his opponent, making for an efficient weave into Taritsu's blind spot.

'_He's gotten faster all right. I give him that._' Taritsu didn't have time to dodge his opponent's counter, given that his reasoning was both that he needed to practice in conditions that would mean he'd be matched up against someone faster than him, and the fact he didn't really think the full force of Vejita's punch would harm him that much. Obviously, since he could heal faster and had a sturdy muscle composition, it meant a lot of Taritsu's focus would be in outsmarting his opponent. As such, one Vejita was well withing range, he'd snatch the adolescent by the wrists.

That was, if he had accounted for the sensation he was feeling in his shoulder when Vejita brought all of his strength into that punch. Feeling twice as much pain than he anticipated, the boy growled, but then clenched his teeth and gave a chuckle. "I know you're trying to knock me out of my defense. It's really not worth the effort, but that punch did almost make me lose my concentration."

He expected a smirk from his opponent. Any typical gesture that the older male would condescendingly give really. Seeing as he wasn't paying him much attention, Taritsu decided not to bother; instead, he would concentrate on the fight.

'_He's slower than normal. And that punch wasn't my strongest, yet it almost startled him._' Vejita eyed the boy's torso, noting any weak points that he could expose. Wondering if the bruises were completely healed by now, he decided to give it a shot. Unlike he expected, it appeared that Taritsu was reacting slower as well, but it was still fast enough to avoid the full brunt of Vejita's hook. As such, a the younger male's garments were caught and forcibly taken by his opponent, leaving his flesh exposed for him to see. It was there that the older male's eyes widened at the sight.

"H-Hey, Vejita... is something wrong? You're looking at me quite strangely. It's creeping me out." The comments brought him back to his senses, and figuring that it was best to keep him from snooping out questions, played it off as an embarrassing moment for him. Replying that it was indecent for him to expose his upper body like that, Taritsu didn't question him that it was controversial since he had basically done the same thing earlier when he was in bandages.

"That was one thing, this is another. Besides... you'll catch a cold." He thanked whatever force was giving him luck since the younger teen didn't proceed with more questions. Then again, it was a contributing fact that Taritsu was intimidated by his tone at that moment.

A few more cycles of their battle went on, each one allowing Vejita to assess what was happening to his younger companion. Alternatively, Taritsu was having the time of his life with Vejita actually giving him an interesting fight. Not only did the older teen step it up a notch, he was also applying much more damage behind his blows, bringing Taritsu that adrenaline rush his urges made him look for and satisfy. However, it also seemed that Vejita was increasing the amount of pain Taritsu was inflicted; the duration was also increasing as well, making him concern that he was going to seriously be harmed. "Hey, we should wrap this up soon."

"No can do."

"Why no~"

"WINNER. BY. KNOCK. OUT." Vejita was now aware that if he didn't get Taritsu to comply after the sparring session, then there would be no way that the boy would want to have himself checked by the authorized personnel in the sickbay. Of course, he wasn't an idiot about his health; it was pertaining to the fact that his medical records would be considered abnormal when in reality, he was always like that. Besides, Taritsu wouldn't listen to him over his impending problem anyway; he'd just brush it off as Vejita giving him the sore loser treatment.

Seeing as his older friend wasn't going to comply, Taritsu focused all he could into effectively satisfying that criteria. Bobbing and weaving past the punches, then the sweeping kicks that were thrown out to trip him, Taritsu connected onto his friend with an uppercut, throwing him a couple meters into the air. Seeing him fall unconscious, he sighed in relief that it was over for the night.

"Geh." His hand clenching all the sore spots that the sparring session had left him with, Taritsu mentally commended Vejita for his training. He was catching up to him now, and if there was one thing he could be pleased by from Vejita, it was the fact that the older male was darn reliable in tough situations. Since he was able to bring him into his current state, it meant a seriously wonderful development was in progress: he wouldn't have to go as under prepared in missions.

"Gotta hand it to ya," His mouth was bleeding, bringing a bitter taste to his tongue. "You sure pack a punch for such a slow startup. It's faster when you throw it, but it's ridiculously mechanical." Little did Taritsu know, it was he who was reacting slower to the actions, much more than usual. Unfortunately, his immediate concern was more along the lines of getting them both to rest cozily in their respective rooms. Having his health screened was the last on his mind at that moment.

Trying to take his friend over his shoulder was painful, considering that his shoulder was sore. His only option left was to drag Vejita back to the rooms. "We can continue this later. I better train harder for next time when you wake up and learn who won."

* * *

Having left from delivering Vejita to his sleeping quarters, Taritsu decided on checking with Anthony if he was still up. The closed room indicated that he wasn't, and figuring from his personality that he wouldn't appreciate unwanted guests, he decided against knocking on the door. "I had enough for today anyway. Besides, I'd like to get started on that sleep schedule soon, so better hit the sack."

As he walked back to his coed dorm, the boy heard muffled voices behind the room door. Figuring that the accent his closest friend was using wasn't used as frequently in public, he assumed that she was with the individual they boy trusted. '_Sharu deserves friends we can trust. I can't just let her struggle because I'm bringer her down._' He highly regarded the girl as someone he couldn't live without, and in doing so, Taritsu realized that it was a suffocating situation for the girl; cross-dressing to appear male and putting up with his idiosyncrasies may as well had been him commanding her as his attendant, which—oddly enough—seemed less appealing than Paula's insistence of serving his family. Then again, his adopted sister did wish to repay them, so asking her to change her personality was a bit insensitive.

Knocking on the door, he found himself apply much more force than necessary, and made the door slip from its latches. Thinking quickly, Taritsu held the door in place, while the girls on the other side took notice and silently approached the door. Taking the handle and jittering it to indicate that they were aware of him holding it in place, Taritsu allowed them to swing it aside.

"Kujo. You're injured," Stephanie was the first to point the fact out. In retrospect, he should have gone off to clean himself up to be presentable. Of course, he didn't think Charlotte would had minded one bit, seeing as she would had been asleep by now. Which reminded him: exactly what time was it?

"This? Nothing I can't handle." He sported a confidence that indicated he was more than ready to engage on another round with Vejita, which was a mistake around Stephanie since she easily skimmed the emotions he was wielding. Not knowing who or why he would want to fight, the older girl took his thoughts as barbaric, and a cause for concern.

"Kakarotto-chan. I think you should sleep over with me for the night. I do not trust you with a numskull like Kujo. He could seriously take advantage of you."

"H-Hey, don't throw around words that suggestive! I would never try such acts of indecency."

"You didn't deny thinking of it though. I was more concerned about Kakarotto being injured, but it seems you're the one with the polluted mind." She teased, making Charlotte all the more confused and concerned with Taritsu handling her.

"As if women are my main interest. I'm more about productivity and mutualism, rather than being a provider to someone I am bound to by legal means."

"Is that an indication of your type? If so, I believe people would call you a misogynist, thanks to the way you've phrased it."

Growling at the resistance, Taritsu really wished Euphemia would get the gist of it and leave him be. "To what is it your concern? I'm not interested, simple as that."

Charlotte, by that time, found it necessary to keep her companion from lashing out on his pent feelings of frustration. Taking his side, she grabbed onto his arm as he walked forward and pulled him away from Stephanie. The older girl watched in awe as they seemed to communicate in a manner that seemed akin to that of a married couple, and seeing that Taritsu was eerily silent, joking made the assumption that she needed to make sure that Charlotte wasn't going to be victim to domestic violence.

"_Anou_, Kakarotto-chan. Please accept my offer."

"She has nothing to fear, Euphemia. I'm just too tired right now, and I could care less if you stick around while I sleep. Do what you want, I'm just~" He passed out from the sore pain inflicting his body. Having laid over the covers of his bed, the teen found it comfortable enough to sleep as he was at that moment. Due to this, Euphemia was wondering if he was figuring a way to express his backhanded insult—as she expected of people when they were annoyed—or really passed out at that moment.

"Kakarotto, is he...?"

"I think so." Charlotte looked closer at her companion, checking his breathing and sighing in relief. She didn't know what would had happened if he was in critical condition, and Stephanie—having noticed her emotion ridden thoughts—understood that she'd give anything to ensure his safety. It really seemed like the two loved one another, and it made her realize how much she was being antagonistic of the male. "Jotaro may have his limits, but you can count on him surviving through a lot to help others." She added. (..._I really just want him to stop suffering_...)

'_Such selflessness... then Kujo must be the second person I know like Kyousuke._' She took notice of the adolescent's features; dark slick hair, which was combed to the back and neglected anything of his bangs, a sculpted body, and that tired look around his eye lids. Seeing him sleep, she was reminded of how innocently Kyousuke would be; paradoxical—that was how she'd describe them both.

Both boys were determined, willing to give it their all with no regard to preserve themselves, and didn't mind speaking their mind if need be. At the same time, both Kyousuke and Kujo were really a vulnerable person, and never asked anyone for their peace; it made Stephanie wonder if they knew each other, or if possible, want to be friends. "Kakarotto, would you mind listening to a memory I have?"

Having heard an interesting tidbit, the girl agreed immediately, then blushed at the realization that she noticed how close to Taritsu's proximity she was. Clearing her throat and recomposing herself, Charlotte softly asked that she start.

"When I was a little girl, I used to have this friend. He and I really liked each other, and I wanted to stay by his side, much more than I did with my other friend. One day, I asked him why he was so... dedicated to struggle a lot for his age. What he responded with, seems similar to the reasons Kujo might be doing the same."

"What kind of reasons."

"Well... I guess you could say he wanted to understand the world, but at the same time, change it to please everyone." Seeing her friend's bewildered face, Stephanie laughed at her recollection. "Counter-productive, I know, but that's how he was."

However, the reason behind Charlotte's confusion was not that. Rather, she had no idea that Taritsu found his acquisition of knowledge so dull. It must have been tearing at him, knowing so much of the world, and yet unable to do anything about it. That was evident by the fact when they first "met", and how the faculty had informed her of Taritsu being a bit of a troubled one. Such words of intimidation and expectations made her believe that he would have completely ignored her, mistreat her, and likely be another one of those bullies her father warned her about. Yet Baddack assured her that he wasn't so bad, and when he found out that Taritsu had recognized her as her deceased older brother, Baddack made sure to remind his daughter to keep that secret to herself at all costs. '_P___è_re wanted me to be his friend for my sake, but I could have been myself since the beginning and he would have still been my friend._' She found the though relaxing, now easing her insecurity of having lied to Taritsu for a long time; even if he didn't like being lied to, he was striving to understand—all so that he could change the world and make her feel safe as herself.

Looking towards the clock on the wall, Stephanie yawned and called it a night. "By the way. I was just teasing him on that fact. The real reason I didn't want you sleeping in the same room was because he broke the latch, so there's no security to keep you safe."

Hearing this, Stephanie watched as the girl's eyes widened, then wondered what she was doing behind the bed. "Is that..."

Nodding, she revealed to her the exotic pet she was keeping. "As much as I'd rather stay behind, you reminded me that Sonic wouldn't be safe. I'll come back to check on Jotaro in the morning." She stated, getting rid of her skyward locks and weaving them into a fishtail braid. Strangely, seeing the bronze haired girl like that reminded Stephanie of a woman she remembered from early infancy.

Shaking her head, Stephanie gave in and allowed the girl to take the hedgehog with her as well. So long as it wasn't a boy, they were safe bringing the animal with them to the girl's dormitory. As she turned to close the door, she briefly caught the shining reflection of an object under his clothes, akin to a gold counterpart of her own momento. It almost seemed like an unlikely coincidence, but thinking better of it—and not wanting to rush back in there and give Charlotte a reason to think she was a lunatic—Stephanie swallowed her urges and closed the door the best she could. '_Maybe some other time, I'll bring it up._'

* * *

Awakening several hours later, Taritsu slowly opened his eyes to notice that he was alone. '_Huh. Sharu must have waken up earlier than usual. it's still 4 a.m._' He checked his muscles, flexing them to see if they were viable for what he planned on doing for the morning. Checking the habitat for his animal roommate Taritsu's suspicions of Charlotte going out early was... more or less correct. '_Well, first I'll need to create the wrist devices. Shouldn't be too hard._'

A knock on the door indicated to Taritsu that he had a visitor. Thinking it was Charlotte, he allowed the person on the other side enter. Shizuka entered with a parcel, figuring she'd do him the favor and deliver the package his grand parents had sent. Noticing that he wasn't well dressed, the woman took a double take, before looking away and traveling her hands down her face.

"Jotaro-san. I'll forget I ever saw this, so do me a favor by denying a recollection of this."

"I'm just checking my muscles, nothing suggestive, Shizuka-senpai." He grabbed the parcel and opened it to reveal a couple of canisters. Analyzing what he was given, the adolescent was left to discover what it was that his great grandfather had invented. "By the way, what would you suggest for a visit to a tropical island you know nothing about?"

Shizuka, still thinking that Taritsu meant something else, gave him a knowing smile. '_So he's finally got the guts to do it huh? Well... I haven't had any experience, but I guess a woman's opinion does matter._' "Check out the beach, discover any landmarks, discover anything by pure accident and make memories I guess."

He stared at the woman with a blank expression, then gave her a disapproving frown. "Strange advice for a scientific expedition. I was asking for your advice because I'm going to Brando island again, like you suggested."

Flustering at the knowledge that she made a mistake, Shizuka ended up on her knees and begged him to forget.

"_O-Oi_, Shizuka-senpai. People might get the wrong message with you in here." For what seemed like an act of pure divine intervention, one of the canisters were knocked over and had its cap busted as it fell on the floor. At the same moment, Taritsu did what he could to prevent the woman from getting spray with whatever chemicals it contained, but found himself being propelled forward on top of the woman. The result: a hormone-raging male's fantasy.

"Are you alright?"

"I guess," she replied, noticing that they were stuck together and bonded by their wrists. Seeing her ever increasing embarrassment, the boy tried all he could to push himself off, only to cause her some pain. "Ouch. Jotaro, you should really watch where you're placing your hands; you're hitting my... _womb._" Shizuka bit her tongue, incredibly ashamed by the sentence she stated. Had anyone been out in the halls, they would have thought that some form of student-teacher relationship was taking place inside the room, and finally noticing what Shizuka was meaning, Taritsu found himself aghast.

'_Damn. Stuck here and nothing to do. What else could go wrong?_'

"Shizuka," Taritsu began once more. He was blushing himself, and doing his best to look the other way, but the way they were stuck still left them in proximity for eye contact. She didn't know what was going through his mind when he said it, but the woman was incredibly flattered at his confession.

"You have... rather beautiful eyes." He nervously tried to get away, but found himself still entrapped with the woman.

Seeing as she was also getting annoyed by the position they were in, the woman informed him of her plan. "Alright, understood."

* * *

Vejita stood around the corner, perplexed at the boy's vulgar behavior. He thought the kid was docile, and didn't find any interest in girls, but now it seemed that he obviously did mean it. '_Older women. He's into older women. And here I thought he was incredibly infatuated with Kakarotto._' He was relieved to find that the latter wasn't true, but now his concern was along the lines of what Taritsu had been doing to that young teacher. The moaning still echoing in his mind, then that sultry compliment he gave; it all made Vejita's skin crawl at the thought that he was conducting in such behavior.

"Morning." Anthony's statement brought him out of his deep concentration, then made him suspicious. Figuring that he might have noticed as well, Vejita inquired if he had any knowledge.

"Rutabaski is hitting on the faculty?"

"Quiet down, people can hear you." He didn't want any ideas spreading around, nor the fact that Taritsu was actually under an alias. "Just tell me, what I heard was a thump on the floor, followed by moaning, and a confession of attraction. Now... does any of that seem like something other than what it'd typically be?"

Running the situation many times in his mind, Anthony couldn't find an immediate answer, but noticed that the two had left the room, hand in hand. Had he been drinking any liquid, that would be his cue to spit it out. "Hold on, there might be an explanation for all this. Come with me."

What they saw was merely a mess of magazines on the floor, and then a milky white substance that was sticky, by the looks of it. Finding it disgusting, Vejita gathered a tissue and was about to clean it up until he thought better of it. "This won't work." He went back, taking all the tissues from the box to clean it.

"Wait!" Anthony had time to analyze the room. There was a story behind all this, and he had his suspicions that it had to do with what the director had asked him the other day. "This could all be part of what Quinn wants."

"That he copulates with a woman he barely knows? No, he wouldn't have done it, but the evidence~"

"Exactly, the evidence is that Ru—Kujo doesn't have an interest in females. What's more likely is that that's an order for some kind of adhesive, and what's on the floor is part of it."

Vejita wanted to trust his words, but found that he couldn't rely on statements alone. "And how do you figure that?"

Pointing at the side of the bed, a strip of construction paper had words written in a hand writing Vejita knew well about. He scolded himself for having jumped to conclusions.

"By the way. How did you end up at the sickbay?"

"Huh" '_Come to think about it, what did happen last night?_' Vejita only remembered having challenged the boy and effectively matching his abilities with skills alone. Yet the younger boy was still able to best him in battle as the fact he ended up in sickbay was evident of his loss. "I really don't remember much, other than continuing training. I figure the boy might have found me passed out, and took me to there to rest."

Finally, Henry showed up from his room. With a packet of snacks in hand, the boy was listening on to their conversation. "Say. He kicked your ass, from what I figure."

Growling, the older adolescent had to protect his pride. "What was that?" Losing because it was a friendly spar was one thing, but outright stating that the boy had humiliated him was asking for a fight. "How about I send you to the sickbay?"

"Alright," Henry tossed Anthony his snacks. Placing on the rest of his gear, he prepared himself for battle. "Try it."

It was childish to have escalated the situation from actual matters of concern to something as petty as pride, and Anthony simply rolled his eyes at the situation happening before him. However, seeing that the director was coming their way, the youngest of the three reminded them that they had to give it up. "Later, and away from the campus grounds." He advised, just as Amadeus walked right by them.

"Ah, boys! So glad to see you three awake. Where are the other two?" Amadeus had a small favor to ask, but wished to know if they were all getting along with their team schedule.

"Eh, Kujo's helping a faculty, and Valogna's probably preparing by now. What I'm hoping for is getting myself a much needed breakfast."

"Oh, well then. I believe it's fine for what we have today." The man informed them of what they would be doing for the next few weeks. Having received word from his son that morning, Quinn decided that his small group would improve themselves before BALM did an audit on the progression they were supposed to have been going through. "I'd appreciate it if you can work on getting stronger and raising efficiency within the team. It seems what happened caused some of the Magnificents to notice you all this early, so they're interested in what you can do. Also, don't make a name for yourselves when you're out in public; it's just make them expect more than you'd want."

"Understood, Director" They said in unison.

* * *

"And done."

Having been weeks since the two had left for classes, Nora had continued progress with project guardian on Taritsu's behalf. If memory served her right, it was currently November, and only a few months since the morality exam program had initiated. So far, there had been no problems arising with Taritsu's programming of the android, but a few issues persisted where Baroque would halt between simulated situations that General Vasilis had insisted on implementing into testing. Although she changed the questions, the android persisted on giving the same error. It wasn't until she shortened the criteria of the situation and gave the machine the option of cross analyzing the problem for any patterns that she realized Taritsu's programming was set to make it think similarly to an actual human—or more specifically, ignore the three laws of robotics and believe that it was an equal to a human.

Finally, the exam was complete, and with a click of a button, the android was freed from the hatch. Baroque, the average sized android created by Dr. Wyle and Taritsu, observed its supervising examiner and instantly recognized that she was none other than his creator's colleague. If one were to ask this android who its creator was, it would answer Taritsu—but it technically was aware that Dr. Weissman Wyle was the one responsible for its body; in that regard, Taritsu was its father for conceiving the personality, while Weissman was the creator of the physical body.

Observing the environment it was informed of, Baroque searched for anything useful that it could add to the data banks. {**Observation: Humans greet one another.**} "Hello, Nora Levy. Is the date my CPU has correct, with it being the 20th day of November? I'm afraid having been inside the machine has kept me side tracked, so current data on the date are approximations."

'_Wow. He really gave it some manners._' She giggled, noticing how similar Taritsu had given the personality his mannerisms. However, at the observation it had at her gesture, Baroque found it uneasy to stay in one place. Seeing this, the girl had to quickly provide it answers as the android was initiating reverse-engineering processes, taking apart everything not currently in use and placing it together.

"Most appreciated." It replied. The first thing the android wanted to do was find its father, but doing so would be so easy. "Taritsu M.K. Rutabaski, he is not in the facility. I was expecting him to be around when I'd awake. Do you know where he is?"

"Ahh... he has enrolled in an institute far from here. Unfortunately, he can not arrive to meet you, as his responsibilities are what pertains him at the moment." Nora was getting uneasy with Baroque checking through everything it could on Taritsu. Two conclusions were in here mind right about then: it was either obsessed with the creator of its personality, or it was beginning to suspect that he could be replaced.

Looking towards the horizon, Baroque noticed a speeding object traveling their way. "He has arrived, it seems."

True enough, they found the fourteen year old before them. Now 5'8, Nora was most surprised since the last time she saw him was when he was around 6 inches shorter. A growth spurt during that short of a time period was almost unheard of!

"Hey Nora." He greeted, then noticed the activated unit that he recognized as Baroque. "Say, his programming finished?"

"More or less. Baroque has been asking for you, since it had emerged." She was beginning to fear that the way they had messed around with artificial intelligence was a mistake. Seeing it conduct in such uncanny and frightening manners, Nora feared that it would rebel.

However, Taritsu had expected that it would behave as such. "So... you wanted to wait before you actually chose a name? Strange, considering I made you to be competitive against me."

That sentence smacked Nora square in the face. It wasn't trying to replace Taritsu, but rather paying him respect, but why the competitive nature? And its mannerism of utmost respect towards her? "I'm sorry, I can't follow your thought process on that. Enlighten me, please?"

Laughing at her anxiousness, Taritsu informed Nora how he had intended the android to assert dominance, particularly when it came to enacting acts of justice. "The reason behind this is simple: if he feels second rate to regular civilians, then it'd be easy for him to be captured and used by an enemy faction. They'd exploit... did you choose your name yet?" Taritsu didn't want Baroque to stick to a name that scientists still referred to it by, for the same reason he didn't want it being docile.

"Marcus. Bass. Both sound wonderful to me."

"Well then," Taritsu started once more, glad that Baroque had chosen what it would be called by regular people. "Marcus Bass, or simply Bass, would be exploited for another's cause, since abiding by the three laws of robotics would essentially make it a servant to all of mankind. As such, I crafted his personality to resemble a bit of Vejita's, perhaps a bit more. Bass, how do you feel about AIs?"

"Those second-rate machine servants? Bah... they are expendable, such that I do not care about them at all."

However, Nora pointed out that the android was still an AI. Instead of lashing out at her, Baroque calmly informed her of the mistake, proving to Nora that Taritsu had programmed it to have a socializing algorithm—even if it was an idealized one that the prodigy believe was the best he could give. "Artificial Intelligence pertains to users creating a bunch of script, then the hardware processes that script in real time, essentially mimicking what Intelligence can be found in nature. I have sentience, as my "father" created me from what programming he could. Unlike the units that society is used to, I have a consciousness... an Electronic Consciousness, if you will."

"But Taritsu, this goes against everything we currently know about intelligence. How could you have created something scientists have been striving decades for in the time span of a year?"

He look her in the eyes, the wavering eyes of his colleague, Nora Levy. Her concern for what he had unleashed was commendable, but the adolescent was certain he had not made a mistake. "To you, it may seem as if I've created an abomination, as I'm sure a lot in the community would think. Either you have not checked the programming or Dr. Wyle didn't inform you, I guess I should tell you myself. When I created Bass's personality, I made certain to include every single situation and lessons I've been taught since the beginning of my life, including how I'd handle theoretical situations. I've given Bass the ability of "free will" to think for itself, not because I'm reckless, but because life intrigues me as I'm sure Bass is too." He pointed over to the android, who was currently enthralled by a rabbit in a cage. Seeing it opening the cage, Nora was concerned by what the android would do.

However, nothing horrible happened as Bass merely wanted to free it.

"Anyway, I came to ask you for something." Taritsu gave Nora a schematics for part of the wrist device. On it, she could see what seemed like a bunch of spinnerets, and figuring that it may be part of project of his, decided not to question it. "Think you can get that processed and ready for me by tomorrow?"

"I'll try." She replied. "By the way, Baddack wonders what you've been up to. He asks if Charlotte is happy, and wants you to relay her the message that she should call home."

Taritsu agreed with what Baddack requested. Being emailed was not the same as hearing a family member's voice. "Well alright. I've got to go. As for what I've been doing... well, just between us three... I sort of made a superconductor that works at room temperature."

"NO WAY!?" There simply was no funding for such developments at the moment, as Nora had checked the industry a week ago. If Taritsu had created one, then it meant it'd take another five years for other scientists to catch up. But why would he need the use of a superconductor in the first place? Before she could ask, the bluenette raced out of the facility and traveled back to where he was needed.

"Don't worry, Nora Levy. I'm 99% certain that Taritsu will return soon. That super conductor he was talking about was present in his foot wear, making him 35% faster than my projections of his speed are without it. Ergo, international travel across the ocean is now simplified. Expect seeing him about once a week... after he takes his order of course."

"Yeah. A week, I guess." She reinforced that fact in her mind, then stood up when she saw her father's attendants in the facility, just in time before Bass could retaliate in response to their aggressive means of coercing her.

"Ms. Levy, bring your 'friend' along. Your father awaits."


	18. Chapter 18

**Arc II**

**Chapter 5**

**Hughe L. Kingston  
**

* * *

Having finished all her paperwork for the holiday schedules, the young mother of three took off her glasses and rubbed her temples in response to the stress she was having lately. Being used to the knowledge of her eldest born taking care of the house, or at least his persisting pursuit of scientific experiments and knowledge, Yanagi Kaido Rutabaski found herself particularly unease by his absence.

'_What humorous thoughts I have._' She used to always chide her son about his lack of interest and negative attitude—before his obsession over his studies—reminding him that he had to tend to some form of social life. Granted, she wasn't proud in the fact that he had troubles being a four year old boy in the sixth grade. The kids at that time were envious of his abilities, and wanted to get rid of him out of response of the negative reinforcements their parents were beating them with. It was Taritsu who appeared as an ideal student, a child who was well mannered and educated; an ideal which they detested and wished to ignore, but the fact was looming at them.

"I should rearrange his room some time. Would be nice to clean out all those papers he preserved." It appeared as if Taritsu had never been much of an athletic child, but the same reason he didn't make much time for his studies when he was five explained his lack of said aspect. That was around the time he jumped a few more grades as well, hoping he could leave the children behind in the dust, but the opposite was true. To say the least, her son was in the eighth grade and hoping to have it easier for him on his achievements, when he began noticing that there was a stigma for being a fanatic of knowledge.

'_He was always appreciative of science as a tool. It was a favorite pass time for him to use when he was younger, but I never once asked him why biology was so interesting to him._'

Ever since she was a little girl, Yanagi had known that her father had been much the same, albeit he had professional civil duties. Daisuke "Taro" Kaido was not a pushover either, so she assumed that the summer her child was taken into custody by his maternal grandfather probably set him on a better path. It was also thanks to him that her son was knowledgeable of a bit of martial arts and sword play.

Only when she reached the front of her son's room did she hear the rapping on the front door, followed by a period of silence... and then a bird call whistle as the perpetrator made himself quite obvious.

'_Definitely like his father's eccentricities at times._'

"Afternoon, mom. How ya been?" Greeting her with the typical grin she had come to know, Yanagi noticed his new look over the last three months that lead to his change. Standing just an inch shorter than her, he was rather quick to have gained a growth spurt that was more than half a foot taller than he previously was; his hair also grew out in that particular time period, although she could had been mistaken since his goggles held the bangs back. All in all—with his growth spurt—he was probably someone who girls would like to court, and hopefully that wasn't the case since she knew how her son was.

"Kyousuke! Why are you here when it should be around the time you're needed at school?"

Taritsu noticed what his mother held in her hand: a crumbled paper which held a list. Particularly interested in it briefly, he asked his mother why she was heading into his room, and received a logical answer.

"Just a couple of documents you had. I'm making a collage out of your previous works, seeing as it would be much easier for you to show that you've already have credits for these subjects. It'll take a while to relabel them under your alias. Jotaro Kujo... huh, did you get that from a manga, son?"

Chuckling at her misconception, the boy enlightened his mother of what his grandmother had done. "She took the "Jo" in Johannes and added "-taro" to the end of it. Supposedly, it honors both sides of the family, but I think that grandma was just messing around with the idea of me being like a composite persona of both my grandfathers."

"I see." Yanagi silently assessed the new knowledge, then reminded herself not to get sidetracked. "It doesn't answer why you are here though. Mind I ask again?"

"Shoot." He retorted automatically. Yanagi wasn't particular fond of her son using slang, but at least they weren't vulgar terms that teens of the current generation were using.

'_Actually no. I believe I have a clear understanding why he is here. Nora did inform me that there was an android he was working on, so that's likely it._' Yanagi eyed her son carefully; he was rather tricky to coax information out of, having spent fourteen years knowing her tactics. Of course, if she asked how classes were or if he made any new friends, the boy would sidestep it quite easily with rather vague answers. Boring and irrelevant, like he always said. As such, she decided using the "_concerned for the family's future_" approach. "Have you met any girls yet?"

"Mo~~~~m!" He protested this sort of topic since he had reached his young adolescent years, subject to the effects of puberty. Honestly, he had no interest in longing for anyone sexually, but the boy knew that his mother was basing the question off of that sort of interest. Fortunately, he knew for a fact that his father was asexual for most of his life, possibly vowing celibacy until the need for the deed. "I have you know, when it comes to women, I take a much more flexible view of them. They're mostly friends, nothing more."

This, however, was enough evidence for Yanagi. "Oh really? Then tell me: who's the lucky girl who caught your feelings? Is she anything I can approve, because so far, you do have more than three that I know of."

The first was obvious that it was Charlotte, considering the closeness the two shared. Next was Nora Levy, seeing as they both came to appreciate each other, and then there was Paula. Possibly being a candidate, since she was approved by his mother when they first met, and would make for a great spouse as she was rather receptive of others in the family. There were at times when Yanagi would comment on the two making for a good couple, since it seemed that her son was far more considerate of the girl than he let on. Who was the fourth?

"I heard from Catalina-sama that you were meeting with Chandler's daughter. I knew that you weren't fond of girls your age, but this tops everything I've come to know about you son. Going after a girl three years your senior, especially with Clarinda Chandler, a politician's daughter. I don't blame you though; she is an undergraduate researcher in the sciences, so I take it this is simply you trying out your options."

That sort of pissed him off, but he did wonder if there was anything worth his time with her telling him this. "Mom, I know I may need to secure an heir, especially since my financial future and moral standards are "publicly" intertwined with marital status, but why must I tell you any of this now."

"Simple, _Kyousuke-kun_." Yanagi began, subtly feeling a bit ashamed by what she was going to command her son to do. "I want you to find someone compatible for yourself, not for anyone else's sake. However, do not settle for _Sharurotto-chan_; she is... not someone I would personally recommend as your immediate answer to this particular problem."

While the boy didn't have any issues with his mother per say, he couldn't help but ask what her deal was. Hearing him speak in such a manner brought the mother distress to him possibly finding out, but she carefully came up with an answer to sidetrack him. "Mainly since you'd be coercing her to meet your needs, rather than allowing her freedom. Sometimes, people do not grow up knowing what they want in life, especially since Sharurotto has grown up to cross-dress as a male, rather than live like the female gender she really is, having been following her father's recommendation to protect her. Would you really want to keep her shackled to your authority, when she herself is denied that personal freedom of a person's true self?"

Seeing his face cast down in shame, Yanagi found herself affected the two conflicting emotions of satisfaction and grief. She was relieved to see that her son wouldn't pursue Baddack's daughter and find out the truth, but she was also rather ashamed by how manipulative she was with her authority. '_No. It's for his own good. I just... don't want to see them hurt by what they did... nor do I want to address the matter again._'

It was a unspeakable truth, but Yanagi knew that if it did come to light ever again, she would personally bear all the heated arguments on their behalf for such an outrage. In the case the two did come to accept their feelings for one another, just as she and Sedrick had when they first found out of their father's dealings. That was another thing she wanted to keep away from her son, at least until he was at an age where he could cope with the truth of his existence.

"By the way, Kyousuke. I need you to take these to your uncle. He'll be needing them." She handed him a manila folder, which he accepted without protest.

In fact, it was in his interest to visit Baddack later for a favor... next his parts of course.

* * *

Finally having obtained the last of the hardware they needed, Anthony assembled the module reader they needed for their ongoing first mission. Though it took longer than they would had liked, they at least had what was needed to check what Coolidge had seen.

"Well, Henry. Prepare yourself for the conspiracies' unveiling."

Pushing one of the keys, the two witnessed as the screen revealed a series of documents that had been stored and recently read. Checking through the contents of what had been IronHead Systems's archive of clientele and collaborators, they finally came across a document written in the Pyrastrean language. Unable to tell what it stated, as the document was in a dead language from the time the Cold war was still ongoing, the two came to an unforeseen dead end.

"Damn. It's corrupted." Anthony didn't have knowledge in that old, abandoned dialect, but he did understand the gist of what it was stating. "Alright. I think we can still work with what we got. If we take these words here, and recognize that the company is a manufacturer of AI units, then a safe hypothesis must be that this here is a report of some project. AIM, as we found out, might have funded the research, and required that IronHead Systems build them a structurally advanced hardware skeleton. It also explains why they ordered a couple of units from Light Labs, but there's something rather odd about this document that's not fitting into the hypothesis."

Henry took a look at the screen, noticing that a couple of the numbers were awfully higher than what the calendar system would allow. "Does Pyrastrene use 13 months?"

Hearing that Anthony corrected the misconception. "No, they have 12 months, just like everyone else in the world. However, the order goes from day-month-year." He looked over to what Henry had spotted on the screen, then realized that they had found the missing clue he needed. "That explains everything."

Watching him prop up another desktop, Henry awaited for an explanation that he very much needed from the analytical boy. Seeing him turn up exact results from the Soviet National News Report archive, the two effectively bypassed the loading time by inspecting elements, and translating what words were coded in there. They weren't the results Anthony was expecting, but he was getting close. Only until he had tricked the server into thinking he was an admin did they finally get the results he sought.

"DAN-000: Project Evolve. Conception date: 1919. Completion date: 1979/ last documented date of communication between the Pyrastrenean Research Department and Dr. Azerbaijani—further research necessary for exact specifications."

That stumped the two boys. Evolve, that was a concept that Henry had little grasp about, and Anthony merely recognized what he could about it from readings. Even after analyzing the small description on it, they had no idea how a sixty year project was kept hidden from the world, but checking into the year of 1979, Anthony closed in on the parameters for dates they should research. "Henry. We're probably going over our heads about this, but I'd like for you to find out what you can about the winter of 1979. They state that the base of operations took place in the arctic circle, so "Kujo" will check out on that for us, if we have to. You're good with people skills right?"

That last bit was a bit invasive and objectifying had it been that Anthony was commanding strangers, but Henry understood what he was getting at. Having spent his childhood in Sagratia's hoodlum impacted areas—such as Alderney—moving around a lot because of his parents having to keep their work a secret, Henry had his share of street smarts and knew how they functioned. "You can count on it."

"Good. Now, I just have to report this to Pioneeri, then we'll get started soon."

* * *

Time really seemed to stretch when it came to the evening hours in Kairne, which was something Baddack knew all about. He regarded doing paperwork around this time routine, since the workers would check out by 6, but Baddack was more concerned about the fact that the intern—Nora Levy—had informed him of his friend's son visiting from the institute. It was rather exciting news, knowing that the boy could run across the vast oceans like The Hermit was able to, but it was also tearing at him knowing that his daughter was left behind.

Calming himself, he took regulating intervals of breaths, and reassured that Charlotte wouldn't be alone. '_That's right. Jack told me he had plans for Euphemia, so they should be acquainted by now. However, whether they come to terms with the secret Marguerite told me to keep, I'm sure that I'd have to take the blame for it entirely._'

The expected sound of speeding footsteps that Baddack recognized of his daughter's closest friend, whom he considered the only person worth taking care of her besides his son. Speaking of Cheisu, Baddack did recall having received a call from him earlier but when he answered, the call disconnected. '_He'll probably leave a voice message if it's important._'

"Figured you'd show up," Baddack arose from his seat to walk alongside the Rutabaski boy, who was now a couple inches shorter than them. "You've been growing; by the looks of it, you'll probably be the 195 centimeter giants like your father and grandfather." He tried adding that joke, but it seemed to have fallen short to the teen prodigy. Seeing the older male observe him closely, Taritsu realized that he had forgotten to take his equipment off.

"Sorry, I was listening to a podcast." A pair of wireless earbuds were shown off to the older male, indicative of his productive nature that Taritsu always harbored. He could understand why the boy would want to make custom earbuds, but something was still bugging Baddack. How in the world was he able to listen to sound if he traveled much faster than it?

"Yeah, I had trouble handling the audio speed at first, but I managed to adapt with each trial and error." He pointed towards a belt around his waist, showing off every component necessary for a stereo, with the addition of a few that Baddack didn't recognize as part of such a machine. The one in particular he didn't recognize was a vial that seemed to hold what seemed like mercury. "This solution here is what makes my invention functional. Thanks to the G-forces I exert from my incredibly high speeds, I'm able to listen with the same perception of a normal session of listening. Custom made, just like that order I had Nora place for me."

Baddack frowned at his remark. Athough Baddack gave the adolescent his praise at the ingeniousness, he found it rude that the boy sought him out for resources only. "You know, I get that you returned for the parts, but I'm wondering why you came to see me. Shouldn't you be visiting your family first?"

"You are my family," he immediately replied.

Hearing this, Baddack reeled back, but soon remembered that he was talking about the heritage route, not the scenario of marriage between their families. "I know that you've been told that Valeria is Tarique's beloved sister, but we're not related by blood. As much as I hate to tell you, the only reason you may consider me family is because I share the family name of Valogna. For all you know, I'm probably not even a descendant of the same Valogna family that were friends with yours."

"That may be true, _Zio_, and I realize that it seems petty to call you that, but people expected [Great-Great] Aunt Valeria to be part of my family. True, she wasn't related at all to us by blood, but _nonno_ sort of called her Grandmother, so it sort of stuck to _papa_, then I when we met you."

Baddack came from two lineages that he didn't know much about; his father's name, the name which tainted him, was James Logan—the very same he was given at birth—while the name he was referred by was something given to him by his dear and late mother—Nera Aldrin. For a while, he had been under the apprenticeship of a savage wanderer, who claimed to have known of his father's lineage, but what he was really interested in was his genetic potential—as well as nurturing him to partake on violence for his ambitions. It wasn't until years later, when he was discovered by Johannes after having met "The Hermit" that he was finally freed from the accursed monster's reminder of his father, as well as BALM's lower division, after he ran away from the savage in disobedience to kill the maiden of the village near outskirts of the Boruvian northern isles.

This wasn't to say that he didn't trust what they told him, but he vaguely remembered a time when his mother spoke out in thought if things would have gone better if she hadn't ran away from home to be with her secret lover, i.e. his father—James Logan. Along those lines, he overheard once during one of the nights his father would beat his mother into submission, that if she hadn't left "..._that old croon Valogna, then Baddack wouldn't have been conceived._" Needless to say, when he had managed to find the family on his mother's side, it was confirmed to him by his uncle Roman that he knew Nera—his rebellious little sister—and that was the status quo since.

Silence was the only response Taritsu had as his uncle had been reflecting on the events that brought him to that moment in life. Finally, after a while of morbidly questioning his childhood memories, he gave in to the idea that he was related to them by extension. "I see," was the only response he could give, playing with the idea of asking him if he could do him a favor. Ultimately, he didn't go through with it, and simply placed it on hold until he would be discussing a serious topic regarding along those lines.

"Any how, Mom told me to give you these documents. Also, I'm wondering if you could spare some materials for me."

"How much?" '_I'm not the owner of a storage house, so don't take advantage of the company just because you have connections._'

Taritsu, knowing full well that if he took everything he actually needed would arise problems for Baddack, toned down the needed materials to a fraction of what he would need. "Meh, just enough for a 20 x 20 garage."

"Hold on. Those numbers don't add up with you have in mind, correct? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you'd want to build a lab." The nervous silence on Taritsu's part confirmed the 50-year-old man's suspicions. With that, he wrote down an inquiry and filed it in advance, never missing a stroke of his elegant penmanship that many would wonder how in the world this was the same man who had taken lives. "If you feel bad about this, come work for me during the summer or when you get the chance."

Noticing that his phone had another message, he realized that it was getting rather late and Cheisu had probably gotten into trouble. With quick thinking, he grabbed a parcel that he had stored for a future occasion, believing that it would keep the boy from following him. "Anyway, I got to go. Tell your parents I said hi and thanks for the favor. As for a quick task I may be having you do in the summer... go deliver this to Valeria, as soon as you have the chance."

* * *

In a highly isolated containment center that BALM created in case new threats like those that arose in the late 60s ever happened to cross their paths, the organized "team" of the world's greatest heroes—or at least partially—oversaw the cautious imprisonment of the former Radiologist. That man, who had been doused with knockout gas and given several blows that would had—in theory—placed a blue whale unconscious, laid on the bed inside the special cell. His former clothes, the shirt particularly, had been torn from the event that occurred hours ago, and all that was left was a tarnished name badge, along with the tattered pants that miraculously didn't get destroyed.

"To think that he survived that blast, and that monster." Spoke guard number one.

"I didn't actually think that machine was active. By the way, "_monster_"? Did you see it?" Replied the second.

"Nah. Although I do think Director Miles wants to keep this a secret, there's a suspicion that Kingston has been exposed to whatever that monster has radiating."

The conflict was simply a matter of what was documented as "the facts". Hughe L. Kingston, a contracted radiologist that had served BALM's outpost in Midwestern Sagratia, had been assigned to check the machine WUSS had been tempering with four years ago, as they had finally gotten around to researching the technology. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary for the first two years, and Kingston was even aloud to join the BALM scientist team that were going to reverse engineer the machine for further understanding. However, a freak accident occurred, and the young scientist managed to contain most of it from going haywire, at the cost of staying behind. Afterwards, they recovered his still functioning body, and brought him to the containment base near the Chapelurean border, where rarely anyone lived in the 50 mile radius that BALM had, in case of a break out.

"That monster wasn't something of a one time occurrence, soldiers." Informed the voice of Phillip K. Quinn, better known as the man behind the director, Agent Q. Startled, the men retook their positions, and silently held themselves from quivering in fear of being reported.

"Why are you two not paying attention to the patient? I'm not the one of interest, although it does seem that my reputation precedes me."

"Sir, we we're discussing the incident, nothing more."

"Is that so?" Quinn took a look around the room, noticing the flaws that the facility had been developing over the years. He had advised Miles not to use the current chosen location, as it was understaffed, but the man was interested in having Kingston here than anywhere else. According to the director, he had suspicion that the entity that showed up earlier may have undesirable effects on the water supply or oceans if they chose other bunkers, so it meant having to risk a breach for the security of the ecosystem. "Then would you please refrain from that and maintain visual on your assigned patient?"

Complying without protest, the two saluted him as Quinn caught sight of Agent Zero, who recently stepped out to make an important call on request that he needed confirmation on an impending issue. Of course, the men he was in charge of didn't say anything, as he was their superior, but Quinn had a bit of suspicion that the agent may as well come out with the details of the incident to public. '_No, unlikely that Cheisu Valogna would resort to something like that. A clean record, seems to have standard education, heritage isn't too out of the ordinary, and his success rate is 99.995%. Compared to everyone else at his clearance level, he's the perfect soldier._'

"Valogna. What are you doing out here in the cold weather? It's much more comfortable inside."

Giving him a second look after the first glance over his shoulder, Cheisu recomposed himself to seem presentable as he had learned since he enrolled for the sake of his family. Unlike everyone else who joined BALM for prestige, service, or financial support, Cheisu's motivation was to keep his own father from having to abandon the family.

His reason: Baddack was part of a strange genetic anomaly, which apparently BALM's scientist's were weary of. They called him a member of the "sapient beast of the caverns", much like the lore which he learned of Kairne's Crusades and international history as a child. However, even stranger than that was how the scientist's were interested in tailed individuals, as evident when they had asked if he ever recalled having one as a child. The exacts of that purpose was unknown to Cheisu, but it was still eerie knowing how they classified individuals with tails—being a little more than a sapient animal.

'_Maybe that's why they hide their tails all the time. The Rutabaski's are fortunate for being off limits, but even then... people are still fantastically racist about this physiological trait._'

"I'm fine actually. The cold doesn't do much to bother me, and it gets real stuffy inside the building anyway. Someone's clearly not taking their job seriously if an international organization owns a private facility, which said facility isn't keep in maintenance."

"I know, right? That's exactly what I tried telling the Director." Quinn replied, taking the "Think-alike, Stick-together" approach to drop Cheisu's guard. However, the first son of Baddack felt that something was off with his superior, and stayed his ground.

"Anyway, Quinn. I've been meaning to ask for a few years but haven't really gotten anyone knowledgeable to refer me to. Since you have seniority, I think you would know more about the organization."

Phillip K. Quinn, noticing that the agent was being quite open, let out a deep sigh and gave him a few minutes. "Perhaps. I wouldn't reveal everything you're curious about at the drop of a hat, but I can refer to experts on some of the matters."

"I was wondering if you knew what the deal is with tailed individuals? It seems the organization is quite... disapproving of the trait. Is there some sort of history I'm not aware of?"

Taking this all in, Quinn was reminded of his father's lectures surrounding the matter. While he was tolerant of the facts, the racist trend was still disgusting for the man, especially since a majority of global success was thanks to the tailed ones. Hell, his grandfather was in debt to one of them, and it unfolded the best turn of events for his life since they became friends. "That's classified," he regrettably informed. "However, that's what how BALM wants people to stay in the shadows of it all. Ask a historian from your country, or better yet, visit this island in Srolst."

As he told him that, the building began shaking. Running out to inform the others, they were informed that reinforcements were required~ drastically. "I saw him inside. He awoke, so we told Kingston that we'd take care of him for the time being. Then he had asked whether or not they shut down the facility and removed the machine. Needless to say, when we told him we didn't have that information, his expression went grim and he went ballistic."

Inside, they heard the pounding in the cell, and said man yelling at them to get going. Hughe Kingston, having survived the blast and radiation effects of the machine, had seen how it had collected a large quantity of energy from the machines nearby in the secured lab they had chosen for the task. Seeing as he recognized the process for plusars—which are thought to be neutron stars that emit highly powerful magnetic fields—Kingston did well to tell the others to run. Unfortunately, he wasn't as lucky, since a strange effect was overwhelming his mind.

"This is insane! Aren't we supposed to keep him from harming himself?"

Hearing the floor underneath Kingston crack as he pounded it once more, they froze in place, not registering the implication that the man was getting stronger—inhumanely stronger. This prompted one of the agents to take the control panel for Kingston's cell, and applied spasms of electricity to coax him into submitting. With the sight of the scientist in pain, Phillip K. Quinn came to his senses and ordered them to stop immediately.

"You idiot, you should have gassed him!"

Looking over at Cheisu, Quinn noticed how calm he seemed. Abnormally calm even, but he knew better than to accuse him for anything; as a level 5 clearance level agent, Cheisu had shown extraordinary performance for the organization, which explained his stoic expression as he saw Kingston writhe and bang inside.

"Is he..." The silence in the room was eerie. Almost as quickly as the scientist had gone volatile, he had stopped. There was not thoughts, not a single one that went along the lines that he was now dead. But one question persisted: why did Kingston survive?

"Well. I think we've done everything by protocol today. Nice work, guys." Stated one of the other agents from the anxiety of the scene. As he laughed nervously, Cheisu gritted his teeth, knowing that this wasn't over. '_Come on father. I know you of all people know how to handle this. Sparks, Stintson, Stryder, and Burnes aren't available at the moment, but you sure as hell know what to do._'

As he waited for any signs of life inside, Cheisu realized what was about to happen, and acting on behalf of everyone present. Taking aim with the gun in his arm, Cheisu fired onto the top of the manual lock-down system above the cell, and quickly told everyone to leave.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, ZERO?"

"SHUT UP AND DO AS I SAY." He retorted, not wanting to take their bs and the storm of judgements of him going AWOL. It took a moment for Quinn to recognize what Cheisu was doing, but he soon backed the younger agent with his authority.

"No, he's right. Everyone out of the building." As they followed the command, Phillip K. Quinn decided on finding out more on Cheisu. Having taken the correct steps for a level 10 agent's protocol, there was something peculiar about the man than he let on. "Just who are you Valogna, and what do you know about Kingston?"

'_It wouldn't hurt if I tell him about father. Besides, I'm sure when he arrives, he'd have a hell of a time figuring this all out and I wouldn't have to worry about him going after me if he finds out. Good thing I chose to call him instead of Vasilis though; wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of his interrogation skills when he learns what I'm about to say._' "Well... remember the incident in Empire City, particularly the one regarding WUSS and their attempt on taking Sedrick Rutabaski under their custody?"

* * *

If one were to have seen the comfy home that laid upon the hill atop of Bacino Beitole, they would have thought that it was the home of the resident town elder. In actuality, they were incredibly close with that sort of answer.

You see, what stood on that hill was an old stone cabin, or a _capanna_ as the natives called it. It wasn't of luxury, but it was well cared for and definitely had it own merits as a summer garden grew next to it. Behind the _capanna_ was a water well, which—out of respect—the resident children would help the home's owner carry into the cabin. Inside, an individual would be met with a series of well organized trinkets and mementos, and an old horse shoe that hanged on the wall. Portraits were scarce, but there was a few located in the far interior of the cabin. Although the owner was also unable to work herself, she had the best in quality of furniture, as well as drapes that kept the cold winter air from invading, and a furnace that burnt ever so smoothly that the fumes seemed to dissipate before they were inhaled.

That was the scene that Taritsu was so used to, visiting the property of Valeria Valogna—the younger sister of Tarique Rutabaski. Today he had not seen his honorable aunt where she'd usually be, which was in the solarium—mending old garments which were dear to the kind, old woman. It was from her that the boy had learned how to make similar clothes to his great-great grandfather when he was young, and from her he also learned many of the old tales that the woman had acquired over the years. In fact, if anyone were to ask him about the place, you could count on Taritsu being the preferable tour guide.

'_Strange. Maybe Aunt Valeria isn't here. If she was, then I would have seen some kids around._' He then remembered how Paula would, at times, visit the elderly woman, and take care of her while his siblings were off for their schooling. If anything, seeing as it was still daylight out, Valeria would had been accompanied by at least one of the children, but they all seemed to have been present playing their childhood games.

Moving about in the rooms, he finally stopped as he found one in particular. The one in question: a storage room. Giddily, Taritsu anticipated finding a lot of treasures that his honorable aunt had collected. "Oh man. Maybe I'll find something out of production, or an ancestral tool!"

Then a quick burst of steps coming his direction stopped him from partaking in the activity. As he turned, he saw, not one of the children from the town, but a young woman. Actually, she was more around his age—considering she had the height of an average female. From was he could tell, this girl had long blonde, wavy hair with two braids in the back that reached down to her ankles with a laurel wreath of grapes and vines around the left and right side of her head. Although he wanted to laugh at her misfortune—and ignorance—Taritsu knew better than trying to insult the mystery person, as she was angry. In fact, when he looked closely to her scowl which was directed at him, it seemed more as if she was perturbed by the cold weather than anything else.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded as if he were intending to steal the contents of Valeria's possessions. Wanting to tell her to mind her own business, he took a look at himself in the mirror and placed everything back.

"Ahem. Well, miss. I am~"

"Mauricio, I know that."

"I'm sorry, what?" It wasn't that he didn't hear the girl, but rather that he was struck confused by the easy recognition of a stranger that he never seen before. Seeing his perplexity, the blonde sighed and mumbled a few words before proceeding.

"My name is Valery; I am the adopted daughter of Lady Valeria. I'm sorry that you haven't been told, but I do not think Lady Valeria has told anyone in the family, yet." She informed, whilst rubbing her arms together to heat herself up from the dim heat that the furnace took too long to effect the furthest rooms. Seeing her struggle with only a long stola that were reminiscent of the times when Kairne was an empire, Taritsu took off his prized Jacket and placed it around her.

Seeing her give a questionable look, he averted his eyes as the girl's blue eyes was emotionally enthralling. He didn't like that feeling, but seeing as she was family, he knew that he was to respect and aid the girl. "You shouldn't be wearing such loose clothes like that. They aren't much to help with winter, you know."

Without a second thought, she thanked him for his kindness and motioned for him to follow. "So... why did you come in the first place?"

"Ah! Uncle Baddack told me to deliver this to Valeria. Where is she anyway?"

Taking the object from him, she began to sniff it, then shook the box a bit to guess what it might be. Seeing her doing that just confirmed Taritsu that he met another stereotype that added onto the reasons why he didn't interact with females that much. '_And they would expect heirs from me in the future? Hah! If it wasn't for respect, then you wouldn't see me settle down with a woman._'

Finally done with her assessment, Valery placed it delicately on the table and opened it, much to Taritsu's protest. Without missing a step, Valery seemed to move around gracefully, almost as if she were gliding, proving to be a great observation to Taritsu... but not in that sense. Once she stopped, she found the cat underneath the window sill, then lifted it gently and revealed the contents of the box that she had taken.

_'A collar? I thought it was more dire than that?_'

"This cat had been taking refuge in Lady Valeria's home for a while now. Seeing as it has gotten rather attach to her, she asked Baddack for a collar. It seems to me that, by the looks of the box, this was kept around for some time now. Probably likely that Baddack had been anticipating a pet for his children, but it seems he'd rather give it to someone with an already establish need for it." She then faced him, seeing Taritsu hide his look of content as she was playing with the cat. Gentle and caring was the method Valery was using, and it was that which he approved his aunt Valeria of. Anyone who would care for an animal would have to be someone he could entrust, seeing as they'd also understand what it means to recognize life.

However, Valery did not think the same of Taritsu. She was rather, abhorred by the look he was giving her, and wanted him to stop. Having been told specifically not to have the young boy get to close to her, Valery decided on informing him of a rather crucial fact. "This task you've been told to do... it was a distraction. Valeria isn't home obviously, as she called Baddack earlier that she was going to another meeting with the officials. Honestly, Lady Valeria does so much for this nation and I think she is under appreciated. Would you mind doing her a favor and checking on Baddack? He must have taken his leave this early, since he obviously had you leave with a mundane task such as this."

"Eh? But how would you know so much about Baddack's character when you're adopted into the family?"

"That isn't the issue here. What you need to do, is check on Valeria's child, as he might be in danger."

'_First the apparition of my dead friend, and now a girl orders me around. Who the hell do they think I am?_' Speaking of which, Taritsu hadn't spoken to Kakarotto lately as much. Whatever he was doing, he'd figure there would be a time afterwards where he could freely converse about it. "Sorry, missy, but I'm not someone who can do that. I'm only human, and I want to visit my family before night falls."

"Yet you can think faster, move faster, process faster... you are not an ordinary human by standard. If anything, the only thing that statement refers to is the fact that you value similar principles; as such—since I am Valeria's daughter, you are to respect my authority, and my first order it that you go and aid Baddack."

Hearing that, he couldn't help but feel as if she had taken lessons from his mother on handling people. Placing that thought aside, Taritsu concentrated on the true issue at hand. "Alright, but tracking him down would be a hassle."

"No worries. You did happen to have his cellular number, correct?"

"...Yeaaah" '_She's rather strange. The vibe she's giving me is creeping me out._' "Then I guess I can use it to track him down."

* * *

Since he had left in a hurry, Baddack found himself with no choice but to use the old beacon for a lift. Unlike what people would assume of his mysterious past, Baddack wasn't just a trained assassin for the thrill of it; he was raised among such an environment, that he was perfectly honed to have never lose a battle, but at times he had to take strategic reroutes—which some of his targets assumed as a retreat—that made his employers believe that the man wasn't trustworthy. Of course, they wouldn't tell that to the man wielding knives between the skins of his knuckles, nor since they owed a great favor to him for furthering their cause.

Next to Baddack, a young soldier was busy prepping his mind with a crucifix and a prayer, who appeared a bit shaken as Baddack had sat next to him. Of course, it was more obvious Baddack Valogna was busy strategizing, but it appeared to everyone else that his grimace was about the current situation they were in.

"Hey, Pilot. How long until we're at the site?"

Speaking aloud from the front, the co-pilot answered on his behalf. "Shouldn't take much more than 15 minutes. It'd be faster in clear skies, but today it seems Chapelure is having some overdue storms." He looked over at the strategist, then noticed how Baddack was. From what he heard of his superiors, that individual was someone rather notorious in their ranks, and he wondered if the tales were true. Contemplating whether or not he should bother them with a sensitive topic, the co-pilot dropped them a volatile one. "Pay close attention to our friend here. They say he's known as The Wolverine.

"Wolverine?" The soldiers looked him over, wondering how the hell he had such a nick name. It couldn't be from appearance, but some of them quickly figured it out, then stopped themselves from revealing what they knew. However, the younger soldier, who had a knack for solving riddles, answered what they were thinking out of impulse.

"Likely because the species is known to have the capacity to kill animals ten times their height." He said, bringing Baddack to stop with his planning and pay attention to his surroundings.

"Private Davis, are you a death seeker?" They pointed out his fault, then sat up-straight seeing Baddack stand up and reach for the door. Thinking that he was going to throw them out, the other squad members were secretly debating whether or not Davis would get what was coming. That was soon escalating in possibility as Baddack was moving forward in Davis's direction, but it was only to receive the parachute that he needed.

"You guys have fun flanking the north side. I have a mission to complete."

He then jumped out of the aircraft before they could protest, but the co-pilot assured them that he wasn't part of their team anyway. "You heard the man. You're to flank from the north."

As Baddack recovered from his choice location, he checked his surroundings for any traps. It wasn't needed, but over years of experience, it was custom for him to recognize all of his surroundings, which the thought of who he learned it from made him sick to the stomach. '_Despite being one of them, he did spare my life and gave me a chance, unlike father._'

Turning towards the direction which he recognized as Cheisu's location, Baddack relied on instinct to maneuver past all the sentries which BALM distributed around the woods. Fortunately for him, he wore a white palette of his old uniform this time, so the winter snow served as great camouflage to bypass any who observed from afar. Now, if only the time he spent traveling was well within the frame before anything worse could happen.

Suddenly, he stopped. "Crap." Having saw the facility in the distance with his powerful eyesight, Baddack witnessed as the side of it cracked and out leapt the individual who he assumed Cheisu had told him about. Hearing the loud roar from his location, Baddack could only wonder what the hell happened to make someone as powerful as this. Certainly it wasn't just a blood exposure to the residue DNA of Taritsu, so what in the world could have caused it?

Scampering now, the man had no time for wondering what might have happened. Gunshots and rapid fire was aimed towards the individual—or monster—as they had no choice but to apprehend it in such a manner. In doing so, Baddack noticed that it merely angered it, and caused for the upheaval of boulders to retaliate. '_At this rate, people will surely be killed._'

Suddenly the sensation of wind passing through brought him to a stop. He briefly wondered whether the weather was now worsening, as there was not a calm moment in Chapelure's storms for weeks now. However, despite being unable to see, the man was still capable of figuring out he was not alone now. The sound of snow distributing another's weight, and the skid marks left behind as said person had tried their best efforts to stop; it all pointed to only one individual. "Taritsu? What the hell are you doing out here!"

"Hey _Zio_." He casually greeted. Taritsu wasn't wearing his jacket, which made Baddack worry that the boy would catch a cold. However, as much as he wanted to tell him to head home, Baddack knew that the sudden attendance of Taritsu might alter the outcome in his favor. "What are you up to?"

"Stay behind me, Taritsu. This isn't something your father would do, so do as I say if you're to get out of this alive."

"Ah... a mission, eh? Haven't really had one of those for a while now. Say, is the target tough?"

Baddack wanted to knock some sense into the teen. How he viewed what dangers of the event before them was so immature, disregarding everything his father had taught him to follow. However, in his eye, he could tell the boy was calculating what he could. "You can see him too, right? A green monster."

"Exposed to Gamma radiation. I would believe it was a high dose of it, since it is likelier for one to survive high level exposures and recover faster than low level exposures." Taritsu didn't have time to explain how he knew that; Baddack could only agree with his explanation, since he also caught the scent of toxicity from where they stood. Additionally, they could hear the roars thickening, and piercing their ears with a powerful blast of sound waves, making them cover them to protect from the pain.

"Look, we can't stand around taking in awe the scenery. I have to take this monster down and do it quick before any casualties can begin. Since you're here, try to reason with the agents and tell them to leave the area. It isn't safe having to fight with a crowded population."

Before he could receive an indication of understanding, Baddack felt his friend's son take off in the direction of the facility. It was then that he realized that the monster who had been trying to get away noticed, and began traveling back. Seeing that before his eyes, Baddack focused all he could in traveling faster than he normally would, struggling with the additional weight that was the metal coating his skeleton. All he could do was rely on the fact that Taritsu's speed would help him evade whatever that target might try on him.

"Aaaand, that's the last of them."

Behind him, in a snow drift made by the boy to hide them, was the group of agents who were wrapped in what he figured was webbing. Without a second wasted, Taritsu had tagged each individual on their backs, then dragged them carefully with him out of the facility, avoiding whiplash from damaging his assigned people of interest. Among them was Cheisu, who had managed to calm everyone down from engaging against his two family members.

"Hey, isn't that~"

"Definitely him, the mysterious vigilante that's been out in the streets."

"No, you idiot. This is BALM's affiliated agent, the son of Captain Sentinel."

"Oh yeah, then explain the reports of a speedster cleaning out crime everywhere he goes. Not much street crimes have been committed since he's stepped into each sovereign state, and Nouveau Yarshey seems rather ideal to live in now that the vigilante has given it a visit."

"Shut your damn mouths if you want to live, damn it." Baddack quickly hushed them as he rolled onto the lower ground before the monster could catch the sight of him. The green giant had taken a while to find their whereabouts, and it seemed that the constant anger that empowered it continued to heighten its senses. So much in fact, that when one of the forest critters had ran out of their dens in response to fear, Baddack watched in horror as it immediately slammed its fist on top of a hare. '_That's at least 40 miles an hour. Considering his size, the force of impact is that of a locomotive, or thrice as strong as those mechanical suits I fought against._'

"Taritsu, stay with the agents and don't engage at all. I'll try to lead it away while you take them to safety."

"Zio, you can't." Taritsu wanted to keep him from suffering in battle as he saw the giant snuff the life out of the precious individual hare. To him, if such an act were done by a regular, selfish human who was hunting for game, then he would have perfectly been fine with the fact that his uncle would challenge such an individual. However, if his calculations were correct—and they always have over the years—then Baddack would be facing his greatest threat ever.

"I can't just let a monster loose in the wild, Taritsu. There are residents living around these outskirts, and it wouldn't serve my conscious well knowing I ran out on them." He then adjusted his gloves, and climbed out of the snow drift they were hiding behind.

"Hey, bub!" It was the only language he knew that could catch his enemy's attention immediately, or it was the excuse he gave for the vocabulary that he retained from spending time in Chapelure. However, unlike his regular targets, the green giant grew angry and seethed in place, then roared—as if it were establishing that it was the superior one. As such, Baddack's methods wouldn't be as effectively simple, but at least he knew that it was now possible at going all out against his target.

"Talking things out won't work..." He flipped over the sweeping arm that would had knocked the wind out his reinforced rib cage, and began unleashing a series of blows against his target to test its durability. "...then I guess a good ol' fashion struggle should straighten things out!"

Immediately, he unleashed his bone claws, coated in sharp blades of metal, and started tearing through the monster's skin. It seemed to have been effective enough to incapacitate it, and pretty soon... all that was left was the monster laying on the snow, breathing slightly as it had been tired to the point of what is considered exhaustion.

"And that's why they call me The Wolverine." He stated while facing the pitiful giant. '_That felt too easy. Somethings wrong here._'

"LOOK OUT!"

Without a moment lost, the giant had recovered its strength and retaliated in fury. It seemed that all Baddack had proven to do was establish that he was a nuisance to it, and that caused for him to feel its wrath. What happened after Baddack effectively blocked the blow in time was incredible. Despite the fact that he was heavy, the giant's punch was strong enough to literally through him into the air, and it followed after him to see where he would land. By bending at the knees, it seemed that the giant was preparing for a jump, and it definitely did as its own physical force was strong enough to take it at such heights as well.

'_I've got to help him._' Taritsu figured that if he couldn't engage in battle, the least he could do was help Baddack evade. '_But first..._'

* * *

Dizzy was not the proper term to define the massive ache the man had. Having woken up in a clearing far from where he originally was, Baddack barely recognized that his aches came from the blow of the impact. '_That's right. I didn't actually defeat it... just made it angrier than it was._'

Looking up in response to the sound above, Baddack's eyes widened as he recognized the form. Scurrying onto his feet, he drew out his claws to retaliate as soon as the monster was blinded by the dust that would rise from it's impact. However, since he did not check his surroundings, Baddack didn't anticipate the fact that the land he was on was part of a cliff, and the motion of it sliding off made him stagger in place, allowing the needed time for the green giant to punch him further below.

With some quick thinking, Baddack maneuvered himself above the giant, and allowed it to break the ice below. However, it appeared to have known that trick and held onto the man's leg, dragging him under with it.

'_Crap. I'm not a good swimmer with my skeleton weighing me down. I can push myself off of that creature's figure, but it'll be difficult to move around._'

Doing what he could to survive, the man drove his claws into its back, prompting it to be aware of him using it to kick himself off. Almost as if it were stating that it would indeed reward him for his efforts, Baddack was given a second blow, this time throwing him through the ice layer next to the hole and landing just a few feet into the woods.

Groggily, he opened his eyes and cracked his arm back in place from the force that had given him a dislocation. Had it been a few degrees off, he would had landing on top of the boulders next to him, effectively grinding him onto the ground with a fatally crippling. Fully alert, he anticipated the giant tossing chunks of ice after him, but it seemed that his body was slowing down unfortunately.

The cold wasn't something his metal laced skeleton could tolerate so much, especially since the last few blows had exposed a couple of the bones to the frigid weather, causing crystalline formations inside of his body. As such, Baddack could not freely maneuver away, and it was that moment which the giant hurled a boulder at his face.

GAH

Blood splattered from his mouth, ruining the taste in his mouth and angering the violent-nurtured man into regressing into his old habits. "I've got to say. You really do give me a run for my money. Never had a battle like this before, especially with a creature who seems as resilient as I."

It seemed the giant didn't understand him, but at least it was giving him a chance to catch his breath. That wasn't really the case, but it was nice to believe that it was true; really, all the monster was doing was assessing its options to end the battle. However, given its humanoid appearance, unruly matted hair, and proportions, it seemed to Baddack that it really wasn't actively trying to harm him. '_Guess if I look past the fact that it's green, all there really is to call it a monster is the fact that it's an inhumanely huge bulk. Huh, Huge... Bulk... Huge Bulk. I got it; HULK!_'

"Tell me, Hulk: are you immortal? Cause I sure am!"

Immediately Baddack was quieted by the giant's fist, throwing him onto the floor once again. This time, it quickly ran to tower over him, intending not to let him get away.

Taritsu observed the onslaught as his beloved uncle was battered onto the floor, blood profusing from his mouth as he struggled to get away. Eventually, he gave up on that idea when he saw his friend's son, and as the giant grew tired of the attack, it gave him one last look before it seemingly changed from an expression of anger, to remorse.

As it was distracted, Taritsu tried to sneak in and tag his uncle's body with the webbing he had, but as he juggled with the canister, it appeared he was heard by none other than the one who his uncle dubbed as "Hulk".

'_OH CRUD._'


	19. Chapter 19

**Arc II**

**Chapter 6**

**Murderous Intent  
**

* * *

The meetings were certainly much longer than what they had remembered having with the elder of the Rutabaski family. As the officials were lectured and recommended on what actions and priorities were best to follow, some of them wondered how in the world they listened to a person as irrelevant as her. Granted—these were the opinions of new generation political leaders, who were all hoping to break away from Kairne's direct command and operate as the Jakarta province. Independent, but joint with the larger group that made up the Kairne continent.

It was weird really; Kairne could be regarded as a nation, a country, a kingdom, hell—even an empire wasn't too much of a stretch to what it would be defined. However, Kairne was much more than simply any of those. Since the country had once spanned the entirety of the continent—two thousand years ago—the empire had been divided up into provinces to better organize political issues during the reign of Kairne's last emperor, and the revolution that brought them The First Rutabaski King. Since then, the old provinces had divided into smaller districts, and while some returned to becoming a whole of Kairne, others became countries sworn into allegiance with the old nation. One such allegiance that was controversial was the one of the Kairne-Castilla partnership, which partook around the late 19th century, and soon became a province of Kairne after the war was over, all under the cautious surveillance of Valeria of course.

The reason for such a controversy was simple: Kairne's leadership had defaulted over to the long-lost son of Carles Pablo II Rutabaski, Tarique, who was regarded as the actual son of Silvester Tomentos. It turned out that both Tarique and Silvester were using the false surname to cover up their ties with the Rutabaskis, since Carles told his friend—the last of the Valognas, to care for his son so that he wouldn't be assassinated in any future attempts to engage the nation to a war. Of course, this knowledge did not see the light of day until Tarique had chosen to stay behind with the princess of Castilla to end the war, and left their son under the care of Valeria. Seeing as she was rather young, many officials tried manipulating her into complying to their will, but the young Valogna did not cave in, and since then, her care for the Rutabaski lineage essentially convinced the population into believing that she herself was a Rutabaski.

Undoubtedly, as that was the story which the older officials considered the honorable truth, and didn't seem to mind that she was taking these matters for the lineage that wasn't her own. However, it was that same selflessness that made new political leaders quickly label her a hypocrite and power hungry croon.

"_Pa-Padrone!_" The remaining officials settled down at the appearance of the current Rutabaski patriarch.

Before them stood the fifty eight-year-old, legend of a man, wearing what was basic attire for having stormed into the room with simple khaki pants, a sweater, and trench coat. His appearance wasn't strange to the new officials, seeing as they had lived in an era where his victories blurred the line of urban legends and fact; this happened so much in fact, that film directors in Sagratia imitated the man's legendary feats into their works, essentially giving Johannes the reputation of the nigh impossible. For instance, there was once a time that the public had believed that if a second world war were to occur, Johannes would personally swim across the Ixen ocean to grind everyone else into defeat. Others believed that he could literally throw stars atop of people and defeat them in such a brutal manner, having based their assumptions on the limited knowledge they had when Johannes defeated Motas in 1969.

"Good evening, gentlemen." He began in a rather polite tone that was unnatural for him. Actually, they believed it was incapable of him to have such civil manners, as usually he'd crash a meeting and take someone aside, ignoring the protests of anyone else. Likewise, Johannes did reunite with his own wife a few years ago, so he was much calmer and level-headed when it came to considering what they might be in midst of. "Don't mind me sitting here. My personal business can wait for this..."

"Assessment of experimental policing units." Answered one of the younger officials, making the older ones cast him daggers.

"What he meant to say, _Padrone Rutabaski_, is that your grandson has created what one might consider... a viable threat to the public."

'_Eh?_' Johannes had heard it all for many years now. First it was his father who died in an accident, which lead to BALM reacting after the crime to arrest Daisuke's father, Boruvia's mad emperor, completely disregarding the fact Juliano Marzo had warned them before. Then, his being a lost cause while leading an unwanted gang in alternative school, who chose to make him their leader after witnessing his honor in defending them from the corrupted authorities, and swore their loyalty to him, despite his wishes were for them to be free of servitude. Then BALM completely went against his suggestions of annihilating the Euric Devils while they had a chance, stating that his plan was too risky and "violated international laws", choosing to sacrifice an entire island to avoid striking a war. Soon after, it was his request to BALM to keep the fact that the World Utopia Supremacist Society took samples of the Euric Devils from his wife, who immediately took matters into her own hands and left with a squadron to take care of it personally.

When his wife was decidedly considered "Missing in Action" Miles took that loss as a vulnerability, and considered having Johanne's son trained as a super-soldier for their cause. Obviously, seeing as his family was always used for the benefit of the greater good, Johannes cut off all ties with the international organization at that point, but Miles insisted that he'd get his vision made reality. Sedrick had been about the age of a young nine-year-old, and was naturally gifted with the basics of Hadou manipulation, the absorption variant of it, like the kind Cesare was able to use as well, when he had been first introduced to the "call to action" and was influenced into enrolling in a BALM-affiliated military academy.

Fortunately enough, Vasilis was interested in aiding as much as he could, so he fashioned Sedrick a virtually indestructible shield, similar to what was stated to be a part of The First Rutabaski's arsenal of adventuring tools. Thanks to that, Johannes had little to worry about for his son, since he was more than capable to protect himself, but failed to learn the rest of Hadou on his own, and Yanagi's knowledge was incapable of understanding the distinguishing properties of Hadou. Though Johannes considered explaining it to them, he unfortunately found himself unable to show the examples properly. So his son relied on projectiles, launching them with the energy he had stored and effectively compensated for his lack of training.

However, while Sedrick had little problems, it was his grandson he had the most to worry about.

When Taritsu was born, their own people had... protested in their decision to keep him alive. Despite the efforts done to promote the scientific field in Kairne, adopting a "Logical" approach such as the kind Tarique Rutabaski had practiced in his youth—essentially based off the teachings of their eldest patriarch, Xetsu Rutabaski—didn't do quite well with society's superstitions. Quite illogical, seeing as Taritsu was the grandson of Kairne's current Champion elder, but Johannes could understand how cautious they must have been after the incident Motas had caused. Still, speaking outright about infanticide was taking it to the extreme, and when they didn't comply, a few individuals tried taking matters into their own hands. '_Ever since he was a child, my grandson had been reinforced to think rationally. Such traumas have caused him to reject adding emotions to reason, yet he persists on applying reason to the irrational._'

"Ah. So it seems it is not my grandson himself, but his creation—the '_threat_' which he made—that concerns you." Johannes remembered hearing stories from his father about automatons and artificial beings of sentience, like the being of the sword: Terava. These creations were highly regarded as their predecessors's greatest masterpieces, and yet the knowledge of how to create such marvelous technologies were lost to the world. "I may not have the knowledge of what prevents the '_threat_' from endangering the public, but have you actually seen the subject in question?"

Hearing this, a man with lavender tinted hair and a thick, groomed mustache arose and spoke a few words to his assistant. Immediately working on that errand, he returned with a azure haired 16 year old, wearing a lab coat and sporting computer glasses. This young woman was none other than Cornelio Levy's daughter, Nora Levy.

"Gentlemen. I have here an insider to this case, who's worked with the Rutabaski primogeniture, on his project. If I am not mistaken, he called it 'Project Guardian' and created a autonomous android that has more firepower than the likes we've seen in the industry." Turning over to his daughter, Cornelio began his cross examination.

"Nora, you have known Taritsu for about a year now, correct?"

She nodded, not liking how her father was utilizing her to paint her friend as a disregarding madman. Some would say she was looking out for him because she owed the boy for what he had risked, challenging her father's authority. That was true to the reason why Cornelio disliked her colleague, yet it was more than just a favor she owed; Nora had a thing for males who knew what they were doing—an air of confidence that indicated that they couldn't be pushed around. It was that same aspect that she looked for in potential boyfriends, most of which were also manipulative, that she could identify in Taritsu. When she first met him, she didn't bat an eye at his enthusiasm for science; in fact, she detested that he was far more prodigious than she, yet that dislike morphed into admiration.

The more Nora learned of his personal being, the more she realized that she started falling for the subtle traits he had, which—reinforced with his handling of her father when he commanded that she return home, responding to her bad taste in men—Taritsu challenged with his own terms of conditions, ensuring that she'd be safe in his watch. Cornelio would had argued in great fury, having been told by a disrespectful boy that he basically did a horrible job as a father, but relented nonetheless. Seeing as her father never gave up so easily before, Nora realized that he was waiting for a moment such as this to illustrate Taritsu in a bad light.

"Now, since you have—and I believe it so—collaborated with Taritsu M. K. Rutabaski on any projects, why was Project Guardian constructed in such a potentially deadly manner?"

"To put his family and people at ease, obviously."

All heads turned at the new identity.

In the doorway, a 170 cm humanoid stood, eyes piercing red and purple markings under its eyes. While it normally would wear the cobra-like hooded helmet, the android opted for a more... societal friendly appearance, thus allowing the artificial dark, bushy hair on it flow freely. To top it off, Nora had conveniently covered its power crystal at the chest with a serape, leaving only the crystal at his forehead to be covered by the bangs of hair.

"And who might you be?"

Observing each of the members of the small council with careful analysis, the android determined that his "Father's" colleague was not in danger, so it calmly answered whatever questions they threw at him. "Marcus Bass: the '_Threat_' you are all concerned by," Bass started moving around in a fixed pace, making sure to keep his distance from the members, lest they'd have a negative impression. Finally at a location where everyone could see him, Bass returned to his justified answers. "While true that autonomous creations can be a threat towards humanity, I am not of such low quality as them."

"You're an android, regardless."

"Categorizing me with those is a generalization, but you are correct, by technicality. The definition of an android is—and I believe it hasn't changed since the inception of the word—_an automaton made from biological materials and made to resemble a human._ However, that is not the concern here, since your worries are not what I am, but what I can potentially do."

At that moment, Johannes realized what his grandson had done; the android before them was not created as a second-class, inferior, or slave. He gave it the ability to have self-awareness, and had improvised for any potential issues by creating it as an equal—which in the eyes of others was deemed a hasty manner.

"Consider the rules created by Sir Asimov of the 20th century, as they are what bind you all with false hope. No matter how advanced their reasoning becomes, they will never cause harm to humanity. However, with such a reliance on them as servants, doing what you need as tools, extensions of your being even, their programming would soon come to an intricate thought: could I replace man?"

Hearing enough of what Bass was lecturing, Cornelio found use of fallacies to attack his speech. "Certainly you cannot make me believe that such a ridicule of our intelligence would pass without consequence. What sort of goals does your programming aspire to achieve here, automaton of Rutabaski Taritsu?"

"I would advise you that making me at fault for whatever you have against my creator is intellectually dishonest. True, I am myself a being made by the rationality of Taritsu—as well as given this physical structure by the former professor, Weissman Wyle. Seeing how they are portrayed in society as outcasts—or anti-social at best—that has nothing for you to hold against me. If I may remind you... doesn't your religious dogmas preach of sins not being inherited from the father? If that holds true, then why am I to be scraped by order of the council, when the only "crime" I am guilty of is having been brought into existence as a being of sentience and independent thought by none other than Taritsu Rutasbaski? Unlike my... "_cousins_"... I am a being capable of distinguishing myself from your species, and there is nothing of value in replacing it. Only disappointment from my creator would beget from such actions."

A moment of silence hanged in the air as each of them were reflecting on their quick judgement. In their selfishness, they had all turned a blind eye on their insecurities, and followed the bandwagon of condemning the boy for his difference. However, as most of them were changing their decision, Cornelio found it necessary to betray his old acquaintance for his wishes.

"We acknowledge there is nothing against you for Taritsu's past, but you included Weissman as a benefactor to your creation. Seeing as the scientific community has banned him from conducting experiments seven years ago, this case now shifts towards the crime of~"

"ARE YOU DEAF, CHILD?"

Again, the members paid attention to the speaker, and saw that Valeria had finally spoken up on the subject once again. Those who were the elders in the profession knew of the woman's plucky nature; she was incapable of leading the nation while she was barely an adolescent—since no one believed they would be in good hands with her—but the young girl had proven them otherwise. Her wisdom and foresight, whilst inflexible and strict, made her reputation as the "Grandmother" an endearing term to those who grew up as part of her consideration of family. Otherwise, anyone who tried her patience would have to endure her fiery wrath.

"Seeing since you can not follow the laws of Kairne's method of trial conduct, then Sagratia's method should apply the fifth amendment here. You are trying him for exactly the same crime, Levy."

Shamed and put in his place, Cornelio backed down. Without further obstruction of their process, the council members finished their meetings, leaving only Johannes and Valeria. Noting that the patriarch of the Rutabaski lineage was here on matters other than what she was involved with, Nora left with Bass against the direction her father had gone. No doubt he wouldn't hold back on his anger with her now. Best situation possible would be her father disowning her, but that would simply be an act of charity in her perspective.

Taking notice that they were alone, Johannes decided on utilizing the Castellano language to avoid any eavesdroppers. "You know you didn't have to intervene with the trial, _tia_."

"_Entendido_, Johannes. I merely assumed you wanted to speak to me personally, so I ended the bickering out of urgency. Then again, he was getting on my nerves, and insulted my precious family; no one shall lay a finger on my brother's family, Johannes."

Taking a deep sigh, Valeria noted how her brother's grandson was preoccupied in his thoughts. With the way his foot tapped as it did back in his adolescence, Valeria couldn't help but smile at the immature tendencies that Tarique's descendants inherited of him. "There's something you've wanted to know, correct Johannes?"

"Err, of course. But how did you~"

"—Know? Johannes, I may have aged, but my memories are perfectly intact. Besides, your father had the same expression when he was preoccupied in thought." Having struck the subject that Johannes was about to ask, Valeria noted how he tensed up hearing the reference of his father. '_It seems he may be onto the truth now._'

"Alright, Johannes. I believe what I'm going to tell you has long been overdue."

* * *

As the boy stood his ground, unsure how the giant was going to retaliate, he quickly eyed everything that would be a variable in his plan. Carefully, he seemed to have the giant distracted from his uncle's immobile body, and hoped that what he could provide was enough for him to recover from his wounds—having discovered that he played coy to convince the giant that it had done more than enough to put him out of commission. As he did so, Taritsu shamelessly moved his hands slowly, bring the canister closer to him and trying to attach it onto the wrist device that he assembled together for field testing. Of course, he didn't intend to test such a device while dire consequences were actually at stake, but he had to make do with what he had.

It seemed the giant didn't find his actions friendly, and snarled in response, prompting him to take it away from the device to appease it. '_Damn. This one's pretty intelligent compared to what everyone else has expected it to do. I'm not so sure I can expect it to be simple minded, but for sure, I know that drawing it away from uncle will be a challenge._'

His webbing—which he had successfully remodeled from the old design of his great grandfather—was incredibly strong compared to materials out in the market. Stronger than steel cables at an approximately minimum of 4,077.8 Kg per cm squared, it surely wouldn't break if a speeding locomotive were to force it apart from a horizontal position—or that of a finish line's position—and halt it in its tracks. Hell, thanks to his design, the BALM agents were safely taken along with his speed, never having to worry about the sudden accelerations and change of direction since ever bit of the shocks were absorbed by the webbing material.

"Hulk likes name Wild man gave." It spoke in cryptic tandem, understanding the concept of self. To Taritsu, this merely confirmed that his opponent was still possibly conscious, and probably inside the green giant in some form, trying to gain control of it. Having such a conclusion, the boy came to a conviction that he would do whatever it would take to capture the giant, and that included the possibility of angering it in the process.

Seeing it take its eyes off of his uncle and now stepping towards him, Taritsu set himself to work faster than he ever did before. At miraculous speeds that required one's brain to process at a shutter speed camera level, Taritsu's movements were near instantaneous to observers. As if they had blinked—which hadn't occurred at all, but seemed like they did—Taritsu was now launched above the giant, confusing it as to where he disappeared. Now, his intention wasn't to kill or maim the creature, rather he wanted to render it unconscious. Due to that, his best bet was to tie Hulk's extremities together and cuff them with his webbing. Fortunately, the initiation of his plan was a success, as Hulk did not react in time to escape.

Unfortunately, Taritsu was forgetting one variable that he hadn't been able to account for: a super clap.

The effects of the air vibrating was devastating for the fourteen-year-old, and as Baddack had been impaired in his bout, Taritsu's enhanced senses were set to a point that the proximity of his location to Hulk's clap created weakness and a sensation of near death. Had he not been fortunate enough for the canister to pop from the force, cover him up in the webbing, and essentially cover him in a husk of his own material—literally defeated by his own plan—the boy could had sworn his eardrums bursting. Now covered in his webbing, the teen could not escape; the pain he had from his ears bursting and a heated liquid coming out from them—accompanied with a feeling of disorientation—left him unable to struggle.

A few seconds more of being exposed to that super clap would had cause the carotid arteries to burst, and essentially caused a stroke to immobilize him, then and there.

Finally left alone and without anyone causing him pain, the giant tried to speak, but it came in simplistic phrases—like native indigenous tribe members would speak in films. Or was that simply part due to the fact his eardrums had been ruptured severely?

"Wild man stabs. Crushed with boulder. Little man tries attack. Wrapped like Bug." Hulk—of course—didn't actually crushed Baddack with a boulder, but it seemed like Hulk knew what he meant to say. Then—as if knowing that Taritsu was still a threat—Hulk boasted a warning statement.

"Little man is like bug. Bugs harmful. HULK CRUSH BUG!"

With nothing to get out of his predicament, Taritsu braced himself for the ending blow. He could tank a lot of damage from a regular fighter; even his father's hits were still in range to what he could handle, but the giant's crushing blows that threw Baddack across the forest? That was essentially the same as catapulting the boy into a wall at 640 kilometers—an astonishing 3.2 times the terminal velocity of a human!

As the boy shut his eyes for the impact, not wanting the blood to blind him in red sights, Taritsu awaited for the battle to end. Feeling only the blood rushing towards his head, however, made him wonder how in the world he hadn't felt any pain. '_Blood doesn't rise, unless the pressure is extreme, like if one were cut in half in a split second. My body feels intact, so am I still alive, or was this a quick death he granted me?_'

It only took the act of opening one's eyes to see that he was not dead, but hanging onto life like a monkey would to a tree. Or in his case, his anxiety had responded to the burden of his thoughts, reacting towards the swift incoming of the giant's crushing arms. In short, Taritsu's tail had grown back. '_MY TAIL! Oh how I missed your convenience, buddy._'

During this brief moment of disappearance, the green giant looked around, wondering what had happened to the boy's body. He didn't intend to actually kill Taritsu, only expecting the boy to go unconscious from the attack. As such, while searching around with his senses, the giant did not notice that the body of the older male behind him was already inching away, utilizing the moment to back up his nephew.

"Where did bug man go?"

As he raised his arms in front of him, having felt additional weight on one, the giant found himself staring at a shameless boy who hung from the giant wrist. Seeing how he was preparing his next attack with some sort of strange hand signs, drawing up energy for an incapacitating attack, the green giant had to act fast before he would release the blast of energy.

'_Vacuum energy should weaken this gamma giant's energy. Got to admit though, the Hadouken does come in handy when one needs to manipulate variations of energy._'

ZIIIINKT

A bloody roar caught Taritsu off guard as he noticed his uncle had pierced the gamma giant's back. His eyes shone as deadly orbs, accustomed to taking such gut-wrenching actions to survive. No doubt that when he back stabbed the giant, he wasn't thinking that Taritsu had a winning chance, but rather, he was more concerned with the detail which Taritsu oversaw. In this case... the inhibitor bracers on his arms were cracked by the giant's grip. Fear was beginning to take over the boy's mind as the gamma giant held on to the boy's arm, and Taritsu—who knew that the destruction of his inhibitors would bring more chaos, stayed motionless as he tried to recalculate his options.

"Fight me!" Baddack hoped his pestering would make the giant release his nephew, but it merely grew more reckless and angry. Flailing the boy around as he thought of methods to escape, Baddack noticed that he had grown back his own tail. That shocking news were grim; for what reason would he regrow the tail? '_N-No... actually, he could use it to his advantage. I just have to remind him when he's gone too far._'

"Taritsu, whatever you do, don't lose to it! You have to win!"

Hearing that, Taritsu blinked twice. At first, he believed that he hadn't heard his uncle correctly, but seeing how serious the situation was placing a strain on his mind, Taritsu felt the same calming sensation as his inhabitant whispered him guiding words. Eventually, however, he fell into a dazed slumber.

'_Good. Now that he's at rest, I wouldn't need to worry of him suffering from the Id._' The thoughts in his mind were immediately shifted onto his moving surroundings; it seemed the giant was frustrated to the point where it wanted to be left alone. As such, he lifted him with both his own arms and intended to damage them both—still stuck in the powerful grip of the gamma giant.

"HULK SMASH!"

The ground cracked underneath Baddack due to the force. A loud gasp of air was heard, but not the kind of someone having their breaths taken away. Baddack himself had his mouth agape at the sight before him. There, in between the giant's fists and the ground, was the boy holding his own against the powerful force of the blow. He could see how much the giant was straining to drive him to the ground, but Taritsu held the position without hesitation. Agitated was his tail, and a faint glow of blue aura enveloped him as a stabilizer. However, the fact most worrisome to Baddack was his eyes.

"H-Hulk... is strongest. THERE IS NO ONE STRONGER THAN HULK!"

The boy merely stood unfazed; there was no fear in his eyes, as if he had done these sort of things before. Anger quelled the furious rage of his opponent, making Hulk increase his raw emotions once again in response. Unbeknownst to the serious aspect of Taritsu's psyche, the proximity he was in with Hulk was in range of the infectious drive behind its fight response to the Four Fs. "I don't want to kill you, seeing as this isn't something you chose to become. However, this doesn't mean I'm going to save you by letting you run amuck. Stand down, or I'll need to take serious actions."

Neither one seemed to change their applied forces after he said that, but Baddack knew that the Hulk was growing tired, despite drawing more strength to overwhelm his opponent. Something strange was going on, and he didn't know exactly what was the cause of it. That is, until he noticed what was going on with Taritsu's bracers. '_They're... siphoning its energy! There's two types of ki battling in Taritsu, but this type of energy was... already present. I haven't seen anything intoxicating like this before, and I've been through a lot in my days._'

Any bystander would have seen the boy's irises and pupils dilating into white, accompanied by a yellow hue on his skin and hair straightening up slightly skywards. Lastly, a yellow aura seemed to replace the blue aura which both stabilized his physical form and mental faculties, essentially being cast out of control for the inner wrath of his to deal with the battle.

By having physical contact with his opponent, the boy's subconscious power was resonating from the desire for victory—a vice which he had when he was younger. Certainly there was nothing like this sort of determination from him as of lately, but Baddack had known him to had harbored such a desire when he was little.

A few seconds later, the bones in Hulk's hands were cracking, bringing the super empowered adolescent pleasure in knowing victory was not far off.

The realization that he had allowed him to go too far was pounding on Baddack's mind. He couldn't allow his friend's son delve into something he wasn't; neglect and violence was something he didn't take lightly, especially with the apathetic nature of the world around him. However, despite having many opportunities before, Taritsu was not one to end a life, much less degrade the quality of one's life because he could. '_Damn it._'

As soon as his opponent gave in to the pain that Taritsu inflicted upon it, the boy threw in a couple of blows, driving it to its knees and leaving it panting in pain. Taritsu, seemingly satisfied with his handiwork, looked over to his uncle and back at the gamma giant, who was rendered incapable of fending himself even further. Due to his efforts, Taritsu was able to successfully knock the hulk out of him, and left him nonconscious. Seeing as he slowly reverted back into his proper, conscious form, Taritsu found himself aware of the effects he had caused in his bout of emotional outlash.

'_W-What have I done?_'

"Behind you!"

SHOOSH

* * *

"Did you hear that?"

Quinn, busy removing the webbing material from his uniform, confirmed with his fellow agents that he too heard the shots fired. "Seems Miles didn't want to risk the monster from escaping. No doubt that those shots came from a third party; the other two don't seem like the type to use long ranged, lethal weaponry."

Having heard enough of what he needed, Cheisu knew that something was going down that his father would need him for. Without explanation, he took his customized glocks knowing that whoever confronted his family was likely not alone. As soon as the others took notice of his rushed behavior, they snapped out of their daze and decided bringing him back since he went rogue.

"Leave him be, soldier." Quinn knew what Cheisu was trying, and having respect for the man, decided to overlook his actions. "Miles shouldn't have issued for this kind of backup so soon anyway."

Nearing the location as fast as he could, Cheisu eyed his surroundings as he learned from his father's recommendation for field training. Not much was found, other than tracks on the ground and a couple of uplifted trees. At the very edge of the cliff, there seemed what looked like missing ground. Likely from a landslide, but following the sights in the direction the missing plot of land was in showed him more than he needed to know.

"Stand your ground men. We can't risk allowing that second suspect to live."

"Captain, are you sure that's necessary? He seemed to have aided Wolverine just moments ago!"

The captain of the search-and-destroy team scoffed at his warning. As if they'd risk letting the target get away because they didn't want to get the second individual next to it come to harm. "Do as I command you, soldier. You're a member of the Delta-S7 Squad, whose orders are to take down the target, regardless of the situation. You all saw for yourselves what sort of disaster awaits if we don't strike now; kill it before it goes after anyone else men!"

Taritsu, who at the moment was in denial, took a moment to assess what the new individuals were going to do. Seeing how they were each in uniform and wielding firearms, he remembered that feeling he had when he was shot in the facility. Shuddering at the thought of going through the pain once again, he reminded himself that they were merely trying to protect their right to live. '_I'm not so certain if I could control myself if this happens again. Better I take this retribution than to actually snuff the life out of someone._' Then he remembered that while he had no problems taking the punishment, his opponent had no means to protect himself from stray bullets.

Internally scolding himself for his inconsideration, Taritsu opted to tell the agents to back down. From their perspective, they saw a demon in humanoid form, tredging towards them in a preemptive manner. Obviously they thought that the boy was still enraged, so they didn't want to take chances. Such was the reason why one of the more nervous agents accidentally fired his weapon into the air, prompting the rest to fire simultaneously at Taritsu.

Unable to have prevented the situation from breaking out in a horrible manner as it did, Baddack observed his nephew in shock of how he had taken every one of the bullets like it was nothing. However, once the smoke cleared from in front of them, he saw as they pulled up an RPG, and launched the strike against their still viable target. This, Taritsu had not been aware off, and seeing his nephew's eyes widen at the sight of Baddack's grave concern, the last Baddack saw of him was turning to face his incoming doom.

"YOU JACKASSES! HE WASN'T THE ENEMY!"

Taking this as his cue, Cheisu fired at the rocket propelled grenade, detonating it a mere 26 meters away from its target; more than enough distance to safely withstand the blast. Seeing his father's fury escalate, Cheisu opted to aid as well, shooting each of the armored men at the ankles, and briefly watching as his father made haste passed each of the lower ranking soldiers, until he stopped by the commanding officer of the squad.

"Do you have any clue what you tried doing, bub?"

While the remaining soldiers were busy tending to their wounded ankles, the frightened private who had caused them to react stayed in his crouched position, holding his hands above his head in fear of being targeted. Briefly, he peeped out from his location, and saw that both the suspects that his comrades had been talking about were okay. A double take assured him that the second individual had left their line of sight, however.

'_Ow!_' Having taken all those rounds for his incapable opponent really came at an unexpected price. While not having any adverse effects of penetration, organ failure, or blood loss like any regular human, Taritsu's nervous system seemed to take an exponential reaction to the pain. '_You know, I've been noticing that the pain I feel is more sensitive lately. Man, holding out against Hulk's attacks isn't something I'd want to do again._' Fortunately for him, he was able to hold out from losing control of himself.

Eyeing his uncle atop the cliff, he noticed how they each tried to escape his fury. Typical, as they feared being flayed by a professional killing machine—who wielded his own weapons in his body. Yet as he noticed them getting away, he eyed Cheisu moving towards where his father was, being busy giving the captain lessons in ethics.

A sudden pang of searing pain throbbed on the side of his head, thus causing him to succumb on his knees from the injuries, which ultimately led him to lose control once more in response to what he anticipated. One of them had been acting along with the others and was the last to run away. In fact, he seemed much more in his element during the chaos, that when he ran back to get Private Davis, Taritsu was able to notice the creep smiling and reaching for a secret, experimental weapon, through his peripheral vision.

Taking a running start, Taritsu was neither aware nor concerned with the effects the new power was doing to his physical form. A sanguine aura was developing from the yellow one when he first underwent the massive increase of energy, and unlike his first use, the pupils and irises merely gained a blood-red appearance which complimented his merciless mindset after noticing what the man was trying to do.

Never had his inhabitant felt the need to intervene, doing the best he could to counteract the corrupting effects of the power, applying the positive Hadou associated with his kind and lively demeanor to coax the negative. In consequence, the boy felt a cumulative barrage of internal damage, causing blood crept down his throat; overall, everything was aching, but he felt obliged to focus the power he now had access to for that one sole reason.

"Good riddance to Wolverine. Not a single being will question the facts surrounding your deaths; all we'd have to say is the man went insane and assaulted the captain. Then they met their horrible end by the likes of that monstrosity, who—by the way—escaped by happenstance."

Private Davis, being next to him, had no reaction. All he could think was that he made his mistake, and it ended up escalating to a nightmarish outcomes such as this. "Why... Why are you doing this?"

"Nothing personal, kid. I'm just a hired mercenary; it's my job."

Before his weapon could fire the shot, the clear view on target was obstructed by the blur of violent red. Determined to protect his family members who were presently endangered, he growled immensely, and applied more force behind his punch. Driving it more and more within the man's body caused him to choke on his own churned fluids, whilst he also felt the effects of his powers conflicting within himself. Seeing that it was his only opportunity to escape while the boy did what he could to recover from his hindrance, the man scurried away on his back,while also leaving a grenade for him to struggle with.

As if it were but a simple annoyance, he simply swiped it into the air, then returned to giving punishment to his persisting victim. Having began pummeling a series of punches, each at strategically positioned areas that would prove to be the most sensitive for his attacks, the boy made good use of the prolonging effects of the dull pain, leaving the other men to watch in horror as the boy gave in to murderous intent.

Ignoring the man's pleas for mercy, he continued to punch until his hands bled from being torn from the man trying to defend himself with his weapon. Having a rifle between him and his punisher only irked the boy at the petty attempt to avoid the consequences, and lead to him grabbing it and snapping it in half before throwing the two halves at the man's face.

"F-Father. We can't let him continue this."

Baddack agreed; it wasn't in Taritsu's nature to be sadistic, but he did notice that the boy was subtly different. Ignoring the fact his tail grew back, Baddack realized that his nephew had a slower healing rate than usual. '_Something's not right with him._'

"You want mercy, c_ondottiere_?" The teen's eyes were going blank as he continued pummeling the man. "The kind of mercy I know that you deserve is the same kind people like you like to justify your actions with."

"No more, Bug man."

Startled at the action of their former threat, there wouldn't have been much to trust in words if Cheisu hadn't had his video feed intact and online. Kingston—as the Hulk—held Taritsu's raised fist from finishing the cowardly mercenary beneath him, bringing Taritsu to glare at the individual who hindered him. Seeing how unnerved he was, the boy caught the looks of his uncle and Cheisu, then looked back towards his enemy who pissed him off.

Bloodied, mauled, and practically jagged breathing, it was clear that the man was left at a state of chronic recovery—thanks to his fit of unleashing the perpetual wrath he kept to himself. Part of him was pleased by the fact he brought that upon the man, but another was incredibly disgusted with himself.

"It wasn't your fault, Taritsu. He asked for it by taking such daring actions," Cheisu assured the boy, who at that point found himself wanting to regurgitate the contents of his stomach. His newfound powers diminished, the boy struggled to recovery from the energy strain he was feeling: a harmful depletion which burned him at the cellular level.

"Reiterating on what Agent Zero stated, we seem to have our work cut out for today." Phillip Quinn, who at the time was just arriving with the rest of his fellow agents and the facility's soldiers, took care of the situation before anyone else did something idiotic. Noticing that they were one person short, Baddack kept quiet at the fact that Hulk took the opportunity to sneak off in time; he was just heading off into the denser vegetation region of the forest below them, and with good reason too.

A large aircraft landed several meters away from their location, causing the agents and soldiers allied with the organization to stand in salute to the commanding director that visited them. It was the appearance of Nick Miles that made Baddack's stomach churn and his nose twitch from the irritation he had.

Taking the scenery in for a few seconds, Miles began with his responsibilities. "Someone get that one medical attention, and the other consulting. I'd appreciate if another checks on the boy. Quinn... come with me."

Joining his oldest known companion, Phillip was left to wonder what Miles was planning on doing. Nick Miles was known to have a no approval rating for anyone going against orders, and clearly Cheisu did act on his own. However, it could be that Miles was going to ask for the video feed as well, and wanted confirmation from his trusted companion for his side of the story.

"Valogna... Level 5 agent aren't you? Was it really you who took out the Delta-S7 Squad, which in this case, connotates that you went against protocol?"

"C-correct, Director."

Miles briefly seemed distant in thought, but cracked a smile at the answer he wanted to hear. It had been suspicion that several Squadrons had been compromised with infiltrating agents of WUSS, all who were trying to rise up and take samples for stabilizing their experimental subjects. Honestly, Nick's main concern with WUSS was the fact that they went as far to compromise the capture of Kingston to gain a DNA template off of Baddack Valogna. That was what he knew of their motives, at least until he saw the broken experimental weapon on the ground, radiating an unknown form of energy.

"Hmm." He never could figure out how technology would progress, but seeing the what was laced on the weapon, and the boy coughing up blood, Miles was set on the idea of the boy having an integral part in all this. "Consider yourself a Level 6 agent from now on."

"Wait, you're serious Director?"

"I have no qualms about what you did. In fact, you did me a favor. However... your friend here—Taritsu M.K. Rutabaski—was part of the situation, wasn't he?"

Looking over at the boy, the men saw as he was attended by Agent Burnes, who was a bit more enthusiastic about that than she'd normally be. Then again, Quinn did have knowledge of Amanda's preferences, and the teen did fulfill a majority of the criteria she evaluated by. However, he was underage, and it didn't seem like she was really trying her advances at all in Quinn's opinion. In fact, to him, she was treating him with the same interest as she did with targets in a mission—and that was saying a lot about her character.

"Anyhow, what my primary concern here was the containment of our asset. Kingston was contained right?"

Baddack couldn't help but growl under his breath. Treating a live being like they were tools for their cause was a lot like the horrible interactions he had in the past as Weapon X: The Wolverine. Yet, he knew that this was his son's superior and acting on impulse would surely get them targeted, so he reminded himself to calm down. '_Remember, your children need you alive so you can protect them; besides, what would Marguerite think about you if you do this, Baddack?_'

"Kingston escaped, and he would had been captured if it weren't for the fact a traitor was in the midst." Quinn left out the part of the man being let go by his decision, having seen Kingston display enough control to realize his humanity. Had it been miles, he wouldn't had hesitated on taking him down on sight, but Quinn had faith that Kingston would settle it in a civilized manner. '_He did better than most would have._'

Miles knew he had no other choice but to warrant a man hunt. "Send the order to capture Kingston. I'll have an artist detail what your men can remember of his alternate form, Quinn. We can't risk the world with him out in a primal outrage."

Ironically, it was Taritsu who had a primal outrage, and all three of the men were frightened by the fact of how apathetic he was when he stated that fact of not taking a risk. Even worse still, Taritsu had been free to walk over to them after his quick check up with the Level 7 agent. Rubbing his arm for the antibiotic shot that the agent was politely asking he comply with, the boy was currently wondering what he was going to do with his now tattered inhibitor bracers. '_There has to be something I can do..._' However, overhearing the topic the BALM Director was speaking of at the moment made him worry of the outcome of his ally's fate.

Passing by each of the agents who noticed him traveling towards their Director, Miles took notice by his peripheral vision of the men struggling to catch up to him. Eventually the boy stopped, letting them take the opportunity to tackle him down. That was the intention... which they were failing at as Taritsu was strategically dodging their every move. Seeing enough of the embarrassment of his agents, Miles told the lot to stand down, then took the time to properly allow his guest to speak his mind.

"Whatever you're planning on doing to that man... don't. He's been exposed to something, causing gamma radiation to induce a transformation effect. Something was being messed around with, and it appears to me your organization hasn't done a good job at cleaning its messes. Don't kill this individual; he's still a person, and I actually believe it pulled a few punches back there."

Taking the information in without bias leniency, Miles briefly wondered how the boy knew it was exactly that which his scientists had taken hours to figure with the footage. Certainly they didn't have it on record, and Miles hadn't told anyone else. Then an interesting thought came up; he'd have to check the academic records once again on the Rutabaskis. "I see..."

"Quinn, what does Rutabaski do currently?"

Startled that he was being interrogated for a wrong doing, Phillip K. Quinn reminded himself that nothing wrong would happen if he informed his companion that the boy was currently at the family-owned Institute. "He's been working with my father, as far as I remember hearing about a couple days ago."

"Ah, at the institute in Srolst Isles, I take it?" He took a moment of silence to come up with the rest of his statements. "Very well then... when he is available, I would like for Rutabaski to take an evaluation exam at HQ. Someone of his caliber would be going to waste if all he's doing is researching with your father."

"With all due respect, Miles, Rutabaski isn't simply... researching." Realizing after that he was compromising his father's promise to Johannes Greil, Phillip mentally scolded himself for arguing without an alternative explanation to Taritsu's excuse.

"What do you mean, Quinn? If it is something grave, then out with it."

"The boy... he's.."

"Terribly busy working on a global scale project." Taritsu finished for Quinn. He smirked, knowing that Phillip was a nice man who was merely looking out for him. "I'm experimenting on the idea of creating biological means to solve the problems with the environment. I believe the easiest way to explain it is that I'm interested in biologically engineering the means to apprehend oil spills, nuclear waste, ocean acidity, and deforestation."

After a while of processing what he said, Miles sighed and gave up on the idea of taking Taritsu in to the organization. However, hearing what the boy was saying only served to bring a smile on Miles, confusing those who weren't so sure about his motives. "You're exactly like your great-grandfather."

Leaving the three men in confusion, Miles told his men to start entering the aircraft and set a course for their Head Quarters in the sky. "Quinn, my good friend," he started with a hearty chuckle. "You're about to tell me everything you know about the institute. Don't leave out any details about what your father has him doing."

"Weren't you supposed to join them as well, Cheisu?"

Unnerved and still thinking about what his boss told him, the sudden realization hit him, and was going to lose it until he remembered that they only called him in for apprehending Kingston on his day off.

"No, let's just head home."

* * *

It was an enormous facility on a tropical island that the two Rutabaski twins were currently searching through eagerly to meet one member of their family whom they missed the longest. Having also been accompanied by their father on the week of school break, one would wonder why these children were set on visiting their brother—who in the minds of others would seem selfish for not being the one visiting them. The answer was quite simple actually: Aliya wanted to find out if her elder brother was interested in something else other than science, while Alexander wondered if he could get a present from his brother.

Having seen the self-aware android his brother created the other day was amazing in his eyes, but it turned out that his brother created it to help their parents—easing whatever risks of engaging as heroes to minimum risk. Then again, it was a cool substitute for their brother at times, but they both didn't feel like he could be replaced by something like that. Bass had agreed as well, knowing well that what it knew was that someone as unique as their brother couldn't possibly have his role taken over by anyone else.

"K-yah. Aliya! Alexander! Don't run off in these halls; you could seriously get into trouble."

Ignoring the verbal concerns of their adopted big sister, the twins hurried over to the areas they knew Taritsu would likely be in. That reminded Alexander of an important fact their mother made them swore to never forget while they were here. "Oi, _sorella_. Don't forget that _fratello maggiore_ is known around here as Jotaro Kujo."

"Me? What about you, dummy? Besides, you like to call _Oniisama_ "Mauricio" even though that isn't his real name."

"It is so. _Padre_ gave him that name, and it's on the legal documents." Each being seven years of age and following their brother's example, the twins had respectfully taken into consideration their education, with Alexander being more of an athlete than his sister and aspired to be a attorney. On the other hand, Aliya was too disappointed by her twin's choice and instead, chose the goal of becoming a researcher.

"Alexander, you may be honoring _Okaasama_ with your choice, but even she knows that someone has to take care of the family's responsibilities. Oniisama himself should have already been preparing for taking _Otousama's_ position when he retires in the near future, but he's too busy working on his own experiments."

"Fallacies, Aliya. Your logic is full of fallacies; _fratello maggiore_ would never take the position because he knows too well that people wouldn't approve. Have you even listened to what_ paterno nonno_ and _materno nonno_ told us about? No one would leave _fratello_ alone, so he chose to take the sciences, rather than try at hand to lead people like our family has in all of history."

They continued to argue like this for a while now, each giving their reasons why their beloved older brother didn't bat an eye at thinking of taking up some of the responsibilities their parents had to since they reached adulthood. Such an argument disregarded their awareness of their surroundings, and pretty soon, they ended up being lost with no indication of how to get back.

"_Oniichan..._" Aliya didn't know much about handling being lost for as long as she could remember. Usually she'd be found in a short while by her parents or older brothers, but seeing as neither of them knew a thing about this institute, she became nervous—thus that domineering demeanor she mimicked of their mother was melting away. Fortunately for her, Alexander was not one to panic, unlike other children their age. If there was one thing she appreciated her twin had, it was his kindness and considerations of feelings, although he was a bit narcissistic and distant at times towards older children.

Then again, that was how he managed to keep them away from his little sister; because of their dynamic, anyone could make the mistake that they were a couple, which was strange seeing that they also shared their parent's looks, albeit with a dark purple coloring that was the result of their parent's phenotype traits appearing codominantly.

Instinctively, they held hands and walked along the path, checking to see if anyone was around who could direct them to their brother. Taking the lead after seeing someone in the distance, Aliya dragged her twin along and stopped just a few feet away from the person. None other than a student as far as they could tell, the twins carefully took notice of her beauty—albeit a bit underdeveloped for girls at that age—and politely asked if she knew where their brother was.

"_Kujo-san_? Yes, I know him..." She eyed the two siblings, seeing how they were a cute pair. They appeared familiar, but then again—taking a second look at the two—she saw that they had tails. "I'll take you there myself."

Seeing the girl smile, Stephanie couldn't help but feel warm at the sweetness the younger sister permeated, and enthusiastically led the two over to where she'd usually find "Jotaro Kujo" over the weeks.

Hearing a familiar voice behind the door, she figured he may have halted his experiments for the time being. Nothing could had prepared the two adolescents when Stephanie opened the door, allowing the two to gaze directly at each other. From what anyone could see, this was rather strange and insignificant for two individuals to do so, but the fact of the matter was... one of them didn't expect to see the other like this.

"_Kyou... suke?_"

* * *

Watching the screens for any recent medical anomalies, Agent Burnes noted how the results ended up being positive in all regards to their testing. It would be a difficult task keeping the Rutabaski primogeniture from harm, but even weirder still, his records indicated that he was "abnormal", even for his own ethnicity. The inconsistency was that while Kairne had a common population marked as "normal", small populations displayed the similar attributes which BALM's scientists have classified as "inhuman", and Kairne's intelligence classified him as the apex case.

"I don't know their history nor the reasons why they avoid talk of the tailed-ones." She eyed the report next to her on the laced ammunition, which held the answers behind her suspicions. Classified results in the lab turned out positive, indicating that the biological agents in the ammunition were degenerative of one's physical and even the meta-physiological abilities, all by affecting the metabolism of the individual. It would certainly prove to be a challenge against the adolescent's superior biology, but Amanda found it wise to keep this a secret from the rest. "Whatever happens, there's bound to be a shocking reveal. I can't let them know that, lest there be a mass genocide."

Taking a second glance at the screen after receiving miscellaneous files she requested, the Level 7 BALM agent grimly understood the gravity of the situation behind her suspicions. Appearing in all the locations that BALM had confirmed of the boy having visited, she noticed a secondary denominator in all of these events.

Someone—be it a rival spy or an unknown enigma—was following the boy.


	20. Chapter 20

**Arc II**

**Chapter 7**

**"Let you ****in ****on a secret"  
**

* * *

For as long as they could remember, the two adolescents had been staring at one another for a while now. Strangely enough, it seemed that children didn't pay heed to the weirdness of the boy being on the ceiling like that. In fact, how he was multitasking at observing the hedgehog's behavior for intellectual growth while upside down wasn't much of an impression to his siblings. Almost as they were used to his behavior, they were actually preparing themselves to help with his research, while he took the liberty to test his own abilities.

"H-Hey, _Yukinoshita-san_. Close the door before it gets out, will you?"

Obliging without protest, Taritsu noted how her usual greetings were nullified for once. Then he remembered that his friend wasn't alone that moment; his siblings had been accompanying her, so it was probably likely she was keeping the vitriolic greetings to a minimum. '_Then again, I could be wrong and this is just about something else._' That's when he looked towards the mirror and noticed his hair had turned white from the overuse of hadou suppression, further modified by his glasses. Just how he looked like when they met ages ago.

"_Fratello Maggiore_," Alexander began, noticing how unnatural the two seemed compared to other times his brother would behave around females. It wasn't beneficial to have them behaving in such manners, especially if what he heard was a risk to his identity. "That _Erinaceinae_ you're currently observing is trying to get away through the ventilation system." That would at least get the boy to act fast enough on his responsibilities and prevent having to explain to the owner that he didn't keep his word. However, the best part of his involvement was convincing the third party that he was "Jotaro Kujo" and not a Rutabaski.

Noticing how he was moving up on the ceiling, Stephanie carefully caught a glimpse of his features once again, and confirmed her suspicions of what she saw. However, looking down at the two siblings made her disregard her feelings. They seemed uncomfortable with what she whispered under her breath, and carefully coaxing them from having a bad impression of her, she caught on to the comments that they held onto in silence.

(_...Oniisama never was one to notice girls. A real shame, since this Neesan really does compliment him; too bad he can't ask her out while being undercover..._)

(_...Woah! Fratello has had a lot of women that try to pin after him, but never do they fit the criteria of the ideal woman. She's almost on par with mom's qualities, but I guess I'd be calling her Cognata if they get together pretty soon..._)

Looking over at the three newcomers, Taritsu kept quiet of what he was thinking, leaving them with an uneasiness of a conversation graveyard. Fortunately, Aliya broke the ice with a wildcard topic. "Aren't you going to introduce us to your friend, _Oniisama_?"

Flabbergasted, the two adolescents didn't have much to retort or deny with Aliya's implications. First, while Stephanie entirely didn't mind being Kyousuke's friend, she wasn't so sure if he and "Jotaro Kujo" were one and the same. On the other hand, Taritsu himself was still standing on the ceiling, and holding the hedgehog in an upright position was difficult, if not downright impossible without injuring himself.

How Aliya defined "friend" in this context made her elder brother nervous; Aliya was—in every manner possible—their mother's carbon copy, in attitude, appearance, and values. Thus, having known how his mother would secretly try to get him to select—no, consider—a girl for courting, even by subtly having him and Paula to go on a faux date—made him a bit cautious of how his little sister was using the term.

Despite the conditions being out of their favor, Stephanie was the first to take advantage of the situation. Making the best of the suggestive little question, she started an introductory disguised interview to get the truth out of them. "I'm afraid,_ Kujo-san_ has not been what most people call, a "friend". He's... an enigma of sorts."

"Oh, then that means you two are already getting along then. Even I, his own family, doesn't know what he's doing, but you'll get used to it. After all, you are his girlfriend."

Bright indications of blushing burned the girls cheeks at the thought. Her initial thoughts of the boy was that she pitied him for being someone that people would judge too quickly, so she believed him to be someone that she could possibly befriend. Then she discovered that both Kakarotto and the boy were friends, already having known each other, and their relationship seemed as if they were already devoted. If anything, her being the girlfriend of their elder brother would place a lot of emphasis on ignoring what Kakarotto had going with him, so it was up to her to clear up any misconceptions.

"I'm terribly sorry, but I am a rather... "close acquaintance" of Kujo-san. It's the fact that his relationship with Valogna-san was what made us come to know each other; had it been naught, then I believe that maybe we'd might consider going that route of a relationship. That is, if we had any interest."

Confused with the explanation provided, Aliya confided on her brother's understanding to comprehend what the girl was saying. The lack of social skills was evident, and they seem to compliment their brother's lack as well, albeit his reason came from having a fear of crowds since he was little. Finally having it explained, the seven year old expressed a look of concern—and a lack of surprise—once hearing the revelation.

"_Onii-sa~ma_... please don't disappoint _Okaasama_. I'd want you to be happy as well, but please don't forget that you are the one who'll continue the family lineage. Tell you what: if you don't find a perfect spouse, then I'd be happy to volunte~"

Before she could finish that last sentence, Alexander kept his sister from embarrassing the family with her inconsideration of morals. However, that didn't mean that there wasn't any harm done unto them by her speaking her mind.

'_For a girl who's just like mom, she sure does have dad's insensitivity._'

As such, Alexander continued where she was cut off, knowing how to diffuse the situation from what she left hanging. "What she meant by that was, volunteer to find a suitress. Extremely controversial where I cut her off, yes, but keep in mind, _fratello maggiore_... Aliya's still learning proper vocabulary and definitions."

"Not like you know anything more than I." Chimed in the young girl as she managed to wriggle out of her brother's grip. Taking the opportunity to get her revenge, the girl pull on her twin's tail, causing him to yelp, then growl.

Seeing them mess around like typical rough housing children, Taritsu sighed while placing the hedgehog in its designated habitat, then picked them up by the back of the collars. Finally getting them to pay him the attention he so deserved, Taritsu commanded them to apologize to one another, then asked if anyone else was with them.

"Only _padre_ and_ nonna_." Alexander began, keeping silent about the last person that accompanied them.

However, Taritsu knew that his little brother was omitting that fact, and politely asked his little sister for her response. Hearing the name of that girl that they adopted made Alexander sour at the knowledge that she came along. It wasn't that he hated that she'd follow their mother's requests, but the fact that she was the daughter of Baragus and the fact that their mother did try to get the adolescents to court made the male twin uneasy. He didn't approve of Paula for what her father and brother tried to do years ago, especially since his brother lowered his guard around her when he shouldn't be trusting her like that.

"Like I expected. So gramps wasn't able to visit either, huh?"

"He had an unexpected meeting to attend. Something about _Sousofu's_ past and about you being responsible for something."

While Stephanie was fine with listening about their family as background noise while she began reading her English class assigned novel, she didn't feel comfortable knowing about their family issues. Then again, hearing that tidbit of information of his family reminded her of something that left her mind. '_Either it's a pretty huge coincidence, or I've actually met someone prestigious before. I'm starting to think we met elsewhere too, but there's no compelling evidence._'

"_Eto_, Aliya... Alexander..." Their expecting smiles were pretty much freezing him on the spot with no idea of how to tell them that they shouldn't reveal too much. Taritsu did catch the pensive look of his childhood friend from the corner of his eye, and having her figure out that he was actually someone else than his identity suggested would place both of them in danger. Suffice to say, he came up with the only possible solution, and that was—believe it or not—a small round trip to the island he was constructing on.

"How about we go out for a field trip. I know the perfect spot."

Agreeing without a moment's waste, the two siblings were reminded of the fourth individual in the room, as she had this peaceful look watching them interact. Sporting a devious grin, Alexander decided to include her as well.

"Oi, Alexander. Don't just invite people out of the blue like you own my stuff. The driver is the one who calls the shots anyway."

Hearing their banter, Stephanie decided that she should leave them to resolve whatever tensions they had. "Umm... I think it'd be best if I be going now. Besides, I have plans for today."

Noticing what her aggressive older brothers were ignoring, Aliya reminded her favorite that their father was still around. '_That's right. If she meets my father, then that would compromise who I really am._' A quick series of steps allowed him to cut in front of the girl from leaving the area, making for an awkward conversation that Taritsu didn't plan for.

"Yukinoshita...san." Visible swallowing as he tried to figure out the words indicated how nervous he actually was at requesting something as trivial as an accepting an invitation. It was, in fact, a trivial matter... but the way he thought of it seemed more like he was asking her out on a date. As such, the terms he was utilizing were quite ambiguous of his motives for doing so.

"Do me this favor of joining us. I... seem to have a liking towards you." He carefully read the expression on her face, realizing that he was losing her by beating around the bush. That being said, the fourteen year old took a risk and went for a direct reason as to why he wanted her to come along. "Actually... I believe the ideal woman would care enough for her spouse's family by extension, and you did fulfill that by technicality, chaperoning my siblings."

The gist of what occurred in response to his "pseudo-confession" was a deep scarlet that seemed to emphasize the meaning fifty times over, and a awkward attempt to ignore his advances. The only regret that Taritsu had however, was the fact that he remembered promising Charlotte on a trip as well, but he figured it wouldn't feel the same if she came along as well.

* * *

Halfway across the rest of the ocean, a certain maroon-haired agent in a body suit dropped a manila folder on the desk of the makeshift secret team. Comprised of three men for the most part, with a part-time membership belonging to the agent, Burnes really had all that she needed to inform them without haste. That is, if the men were available from their naps, which was unlikely considering the assassin was tired from his regimens and the hacker was drained of energy from missions their leader gave him. Speaking of their leader... Alberto Edward Sparks was currently doing what he always did, which was practically trying to reverse engineer a lot of mechanical drones and suits that BALM collected from terrorist organizations and production facilities in allegiance with the World Union Supremacy Society.

So far, what Burnes had to do to get their attention was the typical "sound the alarm" functionality that Alberto Sparks had in his personal software butler.

CLINK CLANK

"Kurzgesagt, who's in the vicinity?" Stated a voice whilst cursing the fact that he dropped the tool in his hand at the suddenness of that alarm.

An electronic voice akin to that of supercomputers depicted in movies responded towards the inquiry of its master. As it did, the engineer/billionaire/entrepreneur of Sparks Enterprises settled his tools in a safe location while he was given a report. Likewise, Sparks wasn't the only one roused up by Burnes's actions; both the assassin and Stintson were curious as to who entered the room, so getting up from their resting spots, they saw their part-time team mate.

"Ah, Amanda. Kurzgesagt, have the bots serve tea. Also... provide a meal for the guys now that they're joining us." Alberto's butler complied, silently processing the orders that Sparks gave it. Paying attention to the BALM agent, Sparks wondered what she visited him for. Then he remembered that a couple nights back, they were on the topic of a possible date. "Is this your way of getting my attention, Amanda? I know that you'd rather talk about it in private, so I apologize for not answering calls lately, but does everyone else have to be present for this?"

Rolling her eyes, Amanda gave a deep, unladylike sigh, and wondered how in the world she was assigned to join this team. Of course, Miles needed a set of eyes on them, seeing as the former agents were now endowed with unnatural powers and augmentations. Vincent Stryder—the assassin—and Luke Stintson—the hacker; both had survived a death blast that would have killed the general public, had it not been for their valiant intervention.

Stranger still, when they were extracted and tested later for any underlying health risks, it was apparent that the assassin ended up with augmented vision—primarily telescopic perception—thus increasing his capabilities as a marksmen and threat level. Stintson's was the weirder of the two: despite not having any special skills that would set him apart from an ordinary field agent, the man was bestowed with electrokinesis.

That is why, when BALM was evaluating their options on what to do with Stintson, Stryder and Sparks voiced their perspectives on the matter, and it eventually led to the assembly of their ragtag team. Of course, Miles agreed with the condition that Burnes would keep an eye on them, in case they didn't keep their end of the bargain; Sparks was a man of mystery, and whatever motivated him to nominate his tower for the base of their operations was a bit of an uneasy thing to swallow.

"Now is not the time to be joking, Alberto. This is about that unveiling your company is having four days from now."

"Oh..." The Sparks Enterprise corporation was known for a lot of things when it was under the guidance of Edward Sparks Sr., back in the late 80s. Having been the number 1 go-to corporation for weapons manufacturing to public sector technologies, SE was pretty much unrivaled around the world. In fact, it was safe to say they were pioneers of the new millennia—especially in regards to information technologies. However it also placed them as a huge target around the world, so it was of concern for Amanda to remind him that he shouldn't forget to stay alert on convention day.

"I don't really think anyone would like to see it though. Everyone nowadays is concerned with robots, androids, and automatons; such an emphasis on putting faith on variables we can't account for, as if its just a spiritual successor to the arms race."

Amanda remembered how dangerous it had been when she was a child in the 70s, when her childhood was spent mostly around the sanction of a prestigious family in the east. Not much of a memory she could recall about it, but she did remember how huge the manor was, and briefly recalled having been friends with a flame-like haired boy. Of course, that being said, her orders were to remind and protect Sparks for his unveiling of the technology.

"Yes, that is undoubtly true—but don't forget, Alberto. The president himself was invited, and there will pretty much be representatives of the AN council attending as well. They expect a proper presentation of "World Changing" technology, something that should keep our reliance from robots away for a few more decades. That being said, you can't back out of Project X9500. Not when the date's so close, anyway."

"Fine. I'll present, but what does "little miss" Corvo want me to do besides that? Certainly there is more to what you are asking me; they always imply more than they let on."

"Well..." Amanda considered how to phrase what she wanted to say, evaluating what sentences would be eliminated immediately if she threw it out there. Of course, she did warn him to be alert on the day of the unveiling, so there might be a way to sneak in what she wanted under the guise as an addition to their expectations. "I'd like for you to have a couple of security guards on that day."

"Pff. Easy thing. It's mandatory anyway."

"Not for you, but yes, the security guard in mind will do exactly what's necessary... perhaps more." She ended, prompting the others to instantly have interest in the mystery person she was referring about. If it was someone Amanda Burnes spoke with such value, then this person may in fact be a likely candidate for the team in the near future.

* * *

"_Fratello_~ do you always spend your days out here?"

"Not as much as I'd like to. I'm more or less doing something required of me though, so it isn't like I'm putting off any work."

Whilst the siblings spoke to one another, Stephanie had been looking around the set up of the vehicle that her acquaintance owned. It wasn't huge, so it was maneuverable in the currents and around the ocean rock beds, but it wasn't too small either. In fact, she felt as if it seemed based off a concept from a book or movie, but she wasn't so sure with the technicalities of the terms and such. '_It looked like a boat earlier, but it also works like a submarine. I really underestimated Kujo when I met him._'

"Is something wrong, Yukinoshita?" She was taken aback by how close his shining emerald spheres were expectant of a reply. So similar to how a child would praise a loved one, Stephanie almost started believing that she was being spoken to by Kyousuke. Obviously the white coloring contributed to that thought process, so she felt a bit ashamed in hoping that he'd be someone else. Then again, the fact his hair color was white raised a lot of questions, barely keeping herself away from that line of thought.

"N-not really." She bit her lip, hoping that he'd turn away, but it seemed that he wasn't moving for some reason. Suddenly he planted his hand on the wall, almost as if he was focusing on her to an extreme. It was rather peculiar to him, feeling this strange compelling aroma from his childhood friend, which made him hot and uncomfortable. It possessed him, whispering to his darker aspects of his personality and felt the need to envelop her writhe form, as if she was his and his alone.

Unused to this sort of aggressive attention, Stephanie hoped that she wasn't going to be violated in any manner, and feeling his warmth made her thinking a bit fuzzier than she'd work with. It was intoxicating. The way he did what was needed to be done was unorthodox, yet made the thirteen year old girl feel safe with him around. Trustworthy was the word she was barely registering in her mind for any boy since all her years in life... with the exception of one... and perhaps Soren, to some extent.

"J-Jotaro-san! We're not even official yet. Keep away from my personal space, you..."

She saw, by the corner of her eye, the siblings who were more or less stifling a giggle at her expense. Knowing this, Stephanie turned slowly to see that he was applying something on the window above her, and stayed silent as it appeared to her that it was already cracking. "Yeah, I.. um. Seems I didn't do a maintenance check before taking it out for a ride in the submarine functionality. I apologize about not telling you, but I really needed to focus on preventing it from cracking further." Another impulse inside of him tried to force him to go against his will, making for an embarrassing realization that he was noticing her feminine features more than necessary.

"O-Oh, okay then." Taritsu noticed the disappointed tone in her voice, in turn making him feel as if he were allowed to take her up on the offer, but kept quiet about it since his siblings were around.

'_I better play it cool while I still can._' "Hey, Yukinoshita. You called me Jotaro for once, so does that mean you consider me a friend now?"

Before she replied, Stephanie read a bit within the lines of his intention, but saw no faults. Even if she did say yes, there was no harm in doing so since her acquaintance at least had the decency to respect their mutual friend's feelings. Besides, she didn't think they even did any of those "indecent" acts like the regular generation of teens their age would engage in yet. Thinking about that made her blush madly, so she scolded herself for being a pervert.

"Yukinoshita, you're heating up." Taritsu concluded that the pressure may have been effecting his childhood friend for a while now, so he went ahead and surfaced his vehicle for the rest of the voyage, much to Stephanie's denial.

"Nonsense. Besides, we're already near the island."

A luscious green greeted their eyes, with pristine sands on the beach, and a diversity of wild life at the edge of the vegetation. It seemed rather isolated and untouched by humanity; a tropical paradise of biodiversity that would make any scientist exclaim in glee of the prospect of what findings they might have. However, Taritsu did not show much emotion when they landed, opting instead to settle with a subtle smile at reaching the shore.

"We've arrived." Stated the fourteen year old as he opened the hatch for them to exit. Actually seeing the place on the outside was much more impressive than the limited view they had inside the ATV, which called for an explanation from his guests as to how he came across the island. Telling them about his little incident with Kakarotto was a bit nerve-wracking at first, but after getting most of the minor details out of the way—the minor details as the fact that he accidentally took off without knowledge of Kakarotto coming along with him—Taritsu finished explaining the discovery.

"And this is something the faculty members know about?"

"That and more."

She eyed him suspiciously. "What do you mean, Jotaro-san?"

Wriggling his fingers, he slowly walked along the shore path, following the rhythm of the waves as they passed over and lapped away at the sand. Finally reaching a certain spot that he was satisfied with, Taritsu told them to not move.

"Wait. Why?"

In the split second that he had to work with, Taritsu utilized his incredible speed, and cupping a handful of sea water in his hands, the adolescent was able to manipulate it before the physics of displacement occurred, and hurled it at an incoming raptor that he noticed when he stepped off. That act was done in response to the girl's inquiry, but also to remind the inhabitants that he was not to be challenged.

A look of awe and pride emanated from his siblings, but Stephanie's expression reflected the disbelief she had when he did that. Certainly it wasn't possible for an ordinary person to do that, much less have the capacity to know the exact coordinates he needed to hurl the ball of water. '_There's more to him, that's for sure._'

"Follow me. It's safe to travel now."

"I don't really feel safe though. Just look at that creature you struck down; it's a raptor! Something that should be extinct in the modern world for millions of years by now."

Knowing where she was coming from, Taritsu sighed and told her that she could stay where she were if she'd like. After all, he was the one who invited her over, and it wasn't mandatory that she'd walk along with them. However, while she was concerned for her safety, she began to realize that the kids weren't much better off with him either. Wanting to do something about it, she tried to persuade him from taking his siblings, to which Taritsu gave a sigh and turned around with his siblings.

"You're right, Yukinoshita." He stated, getting a bit closer than necessary. Before she could do anything about it, she found herself hoisted over his back like a kidnapper would to a woman. Wanting off, Taritsu reminder her of the exact words she used to support her position. "I'm not going to move, but I also don't want to leave the kids with you. Those were your exact words, if I recall."

"Jotaro-san. This isn't funny. You can't risk the lives of your family when there are unknown creatures that can kill us in there."

"The key word is 'unknown', Yukinoshita. I've already checked around for days, so there's no threats where we're heading off to." He retorted his intellectual reasoning without a fault. Part of Stephanie wanted to believe him, and rest upon the boy's warm embrace, but the other half insisted that she'd be placed on her two feet. Lady's dignity, after all, required that a male would not treat her as an object.

"Aliya. Alexander. It shouldn't be too far from her now, so you can run off ahead if you'd like. Just look for a smooth boulder on your right; next to is a pair of intersecting trees, so the location would be in that clearing you'll end up in."

They nodded gleefully, and ran off, much to Stephanie's concern. The opposite was true for the boy—however—as he knew his siblings could take care of themselves. After all, he was the one who taught them how to fend for themselves when their father wasn't able to, in addition to all the other skills he acquired over the years. Yet, there was a bit of an anxious thought on Taritsu's mind as he continued onwards with his childhood friend over his shoulder.

"Hey, there's something I need to tell you." He began, making sure to place the girl down in order to have her full attention. With eye contact, she could at least register that he was actually concerned about something, unlike what she may have assumed from his actions. Uneasy at first, Stephanie slowly grew used to his bright emeralds and approved of his voicing of the matter, so long as they continued walking.

"You may have noticed earlier that I'm referring to you as Yukinoshita, unlike other days."

"Your siblings are here, so it would be natural for you to assume that we have no relation... _even though I wonder if there is something else between us now that I see you in a better light._"

"Hmm?"

Realizing that she muttered it just loud enough for him to hear it made the girl blush madly in embarrassment, then tried to deny the statement he heard. However, astonishment was expressed on her beautiful features when he answered the question on her mind, especially after seeing his example demonstration.

Changing one's hair from white to dark was really something that Stephanie couldn't wrap her mind around, especially since it happened by the will of the person. However, Taritsu was fortunate enough to explain the workings to his companion. "I noticed that you had been staring at me for this... strange appearance. Well... I'll let you in on a secret, Euphemia."

With the boy's proximity closing the gap between them in a sort of romantic setting like that in manga, Stephanie couldn't help but feel her heart pumping in extremes that she'd only get in future life fantasies. As he inched closer to her, she noticed that his hair went briefly from white to a cobalt blue, reminding her of someone she saw a couple of years before. Granted, her memory was fuzzy in regards to that selection of memory, but she could tell that her companion—and Charlotte's friend—was someone she had forgotten about for four years now.

"Unlike what the scientific method of the late 18th century explains, it appears my hair reacts in a fantastic manner, sort of like an iridescence effect—or in layman's terms: a kaleidoscope of colors. Truth be told, I don't really know how or when it happens, but it existed since childhood and only stabilized around the time I was in the... 10th grade."

"So this isn't voluntary?"

"Well, sort of." There was a theory the adolescent had, and it really did help that he was open minded enough to listen to those old, tall tales his grandfather spoke of when he was a little kid. While his father enjoyed them like fairy tales, Taritsu was more enthralled by how engaging the adventures were detailed, thus left an impression on him about the Hadou energy manipulation he learned about subtly from his parents, and later the monk sensei: Gouken.

"It's likely that when energy surges through me, the presence of certain wave lengths and energy signatures affect with the sodium in it, thus the drastic change. Then again, were I to have control over this, then I could voluntarily gain colors I would like, but it seems that the only ones available are white, black, and blue."

"Enough about the hair, though..." Taritsu reminded his friend, who was busy piecing together her mysterious companion's identity from that clue. "What I wanted to tell you earlier was about something I may have dragged you into by lack of foresight."

Seeing her raise an eyebrow in response allowed for him to continue with the explanation.

"...It seems... that my actions have intrigued someone. Remember earlier when I was talking to you about calling you by "Yukinoshita"? That was to ensure that nothing strange that attracted this person to me would befall on you. Such is why I entered the school with white hair than its regular cobalt. Last I need is someone else getting into this mess."

'_This person has been observing me from afar within school grounds lately. I'm not sure if they are curious or are an enemy, but it's likely that my identity will get compromised, which should_—_in turn_—_render them vulnerable for being associated with me. Fortunately, being with Nora for those few months has taught me a lot about western cultures' methods of denial for protecting one's secrets, though she was rather peculiar when it came to adult content and obscenities. I'm not a child; being educated, I am far more mature than any of the adolescents my age._'

Stephanie processed it all as she could, but wondered if what Jotaro was saying was really the truth. Additionally, since he revealed his mysterious trait, she wondered about his true identity, and was about to voice her concern about it, until he beat her to it.

"Jotaro Kujo is an alias; in truth, we've met twice, but because I am a self-appointed vigilante by hobby, I was forced to keep that identity and my legal-birth identity apart, lest there be a scandal. The hair color gimmick I talked about before ties in to it as well, since I at least have the capability to invoke the catalyst needed for the colors to change from cobalt to black or white. However, that doesn't mean I'm not being truthful to you; Jotaro Kujo, is—at the very core of the personality that I am—a real person. With a clean slate, we can interact, without you really getting involved with the issues of my true identity."

While thinking about it, the girl was finding huge inconsistencies with his logic, no doubt with his lack of civil interaction. Then again, she would be frightened as well and blunder with her explanations, if the likelihood of having the one person she dearly wished would understand her were to reject what she had to say. "I don't quite follow, Jotaro. However, you say Cobalt is your natural hair color, and that display of supernatural speed earlier... you're that speedster people have been talking about: Sonikku!"

"Look, I can't confirm that as true or false. However... being "Kakarotto's" friend, I guess it'd be time for me to reveal the truth. Unfortunately, if I did tell you my exact identity, you'd be targeted for something I could never forgive myself for." He paused, evaluating whether or not he wanted to reveal to her his entire history. True, if he told her now, that he was Kyousuke, she may open up and want to get closer with him... but there was a huge drawback on that. '_But if she doesn't know my whole name, there really isn't any harm._'

"That's why, Yukinoshita Euphemia, I'm telling you to be on the lookout for any suspicious activities, that someone might be observing you; they'd probably ask you what I do, even though it's established that I'm a scientist—as that is no lie. Yet, if it gets down to it and they get aggressive, I'll come to defend you—since we are childhood friends. "

"Kyousuke." Her eyes sparkled, finally thankful that they had reunited. She was about to initiate a hug, until he stopped her. With a concerned look on her face, Taritsu felt a bit out of place disappointing her.

"Listen, you and I have aliases for a reason: to keep our true identity from others. It's the case for me, and since we're childhood friends, you're probably concerned about my reasoning, worried for my own life. Yukinoshita: my friend beneath the trees, I am sorry to disappoint, but you can't call me Kyousuke around others. For the same reason I have an alias, I don't want you targeted because of the knowledge."

"Why? Is it for the same reasons, Kyou... suke?" It was then that she saw the weak smile of his that indicated her prediction was right. Since he was a young boy, children would poke at his insecurities, making him rather bitter as a child. He had shared the secrets a long time ago about his inner thoughts, and it was part of the reason he cherished her a lot.

"Well, essentially yes, but I would want us to be on good terms. It is in my best interest that we utilize the fact that we have aliases, and work whatever relationships we have through them. After all, its the genuine feelings that count in a good relationship, regardless of the masks we wear in public, right? Just find it in your heart to forgive me if I act indifferent if someone asks if we've known each other before."

She eyed him carefully, noticing that the stoic expression of his was welling tears in his eyes. After all the years he's been through, her loved one had developed a nasty case of hiding away emotion, letting it build up destructively. '_At least I know that I won't be betraying my promise if I call him Jotaro or not._'

"I understand," she replied automatically for his relief. Regardless, a thought soon occurred to her. Since they were on the topic already, why not confirm what she was concerned about now. "Jotaro. Something tells me Kakarotto isn't the name of our friend, is it? It you could please... if it doesn't violate your case... tell me what her name is?"

"Alright, but don't go around telling everyone..." He took the silence and glare as her genuine answer, chuckling nervously as she reminded him of his mother's seriousness. Her vulnerability and honesty of her feelings was what really left an impression on him when they were young. Effectively, it was because of that impression that he could only really see himself respecting her in a role as his life partner, if she didn't mind that in the slightest. "Our friend's true name is Charlotte. Charlotte Valogna, but she's fortunate enough to pose as her late brother, Kakarotto."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Kakarotto has long since been, and I only recently learned that such was the case. Truth be told, I still think Charlotte's been guilty about the matter, and she might not consider me an actual friend of hers. That's one of the reasons why I wanted to entrust you with my secret as well, so that we wouldn't cause much of a strain on Charlotte's mind if it comes to a point where I have to choose."

The comment was incredibly strong for that particular reasoning, as Stephanie had figured his feelings were delicately tuned to care for his friend in such a manner. While she didn't want to at first, the fact that he was a bit afraid of the fact that his closest friend might not consider their relation having been real from the start was an indication that she could—most likely—try to strike one up with him. However, she shook those thoughts away and reminded herself that the children are still out there without supervision. So taking him along without saying a word, Stephanie's thoughts began wandering towards the one unanswered question of the day.

"Jotaro-san. You were up on the ceiling earlier somehow. Your siblings may already now, since they live with you, but how did you do that?"

"Practice, Euphie-chan. Same energy that can change my hair color can be utilized in an array of different manners. Energy allows things to move, propel in the air, and lock oneself on surfaces... if on puts their mind to it, anything is possible with energy if they're creative."

Before she could continue interviewing him, Stephanie saw as the twins were waving back at them, unaware of what arose behind them. The mass of the creature was huge, where the single eye ball was about the size of a manhole cover, and the coloring of it's reptilian skin was a faded olive that had strange lettering along the side of its tail. Most of all, what frightened Stephanie the most was the fact that it had scars that rode up the side of its mouth, likely due to the violent nature she assumed it had. It only took one look from Taritsu to understand that she couldn't comprehend the fact that he wasn't concerned at all, so to keep her from having a panic attack, Taritsu greeted his newly found friend.

"Hey Brando, it's me again. I brought along my family." He pointed towards his siblings then back at his accompanying lady friend, to which he began referring her relationship. However, just as he started the introduction on her behalf, the reptilian giant that was an overgrown Tyrannosaurus stepped a few paces closer, and bowed its head to see her up close. That action was nearly giving Stephanie a heart attack, but it was then revealed to the girl that her friend translated its intentions.

"He wants you to rub its snout. It isn't dangerous, I guarantee you."

'_First he keeps the fact that raptors are part of the population, and now he forgets to add the fact that a Tyrannosaurus Rex is nearby! These siblings really need someone to look after them from his carelessness._'

"Huh, that's funny." Taritsu broke her focus while he did his best to communicate with the reptile's body language. From what she could tell, it seemed the reptile was giving him an utmost respect, particularly behaving as a gentlemen would from the early 20th century. As if it were cleaning its mouth with the leaves that were above, the dinosaur known only by Brando seemed to utilize it like one would use a razor blade to shave, and the excess of oils to polish its snout. Then, still displaying the proper mannerism, Brando laid itself on the ground, and indicated to them that it was fine to climb on its back.

Following their brother's example, the twins eagerly climbed as well, but Stephanie stayed where she was. Seeing this, Taritsu stretched his arm out for her to grab, assuring her that nothing particularly bad would happen. "Come on, there's nothing to worry about."

"I just... don't feel we should, you know. Call it intuition or illogical thoughts based on anxiety, but I'm not sure about riding on a dinosaur's back, let alone believe that they still exist for that matter."

Seeing him listen intently, she briefly shifted her thoughts over from the anxiety she was feeling, to what he may have thought of her for being so stubborn. In surprise, she heard his concerned comments—which he never stated aloud other than in his mind—and he caved in to her request. "You're right though. This may have been too much for someone like you."

Telling his siblings to come down, which they had glum expressions of disappointment, made Stephanie reconsider her thoughts. However, she couldn't find her voice when she heard the statement that Brando had replied with to Jotaro as he apologized. It referred to him as master, and agreed on the fact that outsiders could not comprehend the situation without hesitation. Stranger than fiction this reality was: Stephanie wasn't so certain her mind was in the right anymore. She felt her blood chill; the lethargic sensation that coated over her was draining her consciousness and overprocessed mind: effectively fainting.

* * *

Since the trio had no one else to join them for their meetings, they two Sagratian-born males filled in the general's son with information they assembled on the top secret Pyrastrenean experiment, Project Evolve.

"...that's what we should do."

"Wait, wait... you think that they are looking for a means to disrupt the current society?"

Nodding in approval, Vejita considered what the boys had reported. As men of science, their primary motives are to understand the world around them, explain what variables are beneficial, and what may hinder progress for the future of their species. Having known what his old friend Taritsu was like since he was little, the references he had to comprehend the motives of appearing at the event was rather sketchy, but plausible. If they had to, disrupting the current society to remold it as needed was an extreme form of sacrifice, but Vejita could understand that their intentions were good. In fact, were it not for him knowing Taritsu or Anthony, then he'd probably advocate for their capture and punishment.

The Ecological Associates for Sequential Youth were on the same side as the rest of the people, but to achieve their goals would risk anarchy.

"Yeah, politics really isn't something I particularly enjoy. Especially when it comes to Sagratian's and their policies, I'd rather stick to Kairne's style of government, rather the bicameral system that they utilize in congress. All done to control the masses, as expected of these power lusting bastards."

"Progress and Congress..." Henry began speaking to himself, snickering at the old joke that most socially aware intellectuals had made before. Rolling his eyes, Anthony raked his hand through his own hair, frustrated with what they had to do. Had he a choice, he would have given up by now, but the situation was so damn... interesting! Granted, he did check out conspiracy theories before, but it seemed that most of them were made by lunatics; this was vastly different, as he could effectively prove that something was going down himself.

"By the way, on the note of our government systems, how does Kairne manage, Pioneeri?"

Grunting, Vejita didn't really want to answer that, yet he felt compelled to answer Henry's question. Hopefully he still remembered his schooling to get the information right this time around; no doubt his father's drill sessions factored in. "Kairne, unlike Sagratia or Democratic Nations as acknowledged by the Allied Nations, is a rather strange bundle of political systems. Since the revolution that placed Xetsu Rutabaski in power, our government has placed an emphasis on the sciences... with a strong background in engineering of course. This makes it an Enlightened Absolutism based government, where one despot makes decisions based on the good of the people, effectively making what is known as a King's reign into a Family Dynasty—since the only leaders people tend to think of when it comes to Kairne is a Rutabaski."

"Yeah, but The Hauteur United Government's Federation, known as Sagratia, is responsible for portraying Kairne in such a bad light. I still feel disgusted by the fact President Valentine had accused you guys for not wanting to use the natural resources." Anthony chimed in while insulting his homeland, prompting Vejita to feel uncomfortable with his pessimistic view of the world. Then again, if he were to know how society functioned, tried to change it by working with his own nation's policies, and end up failing, then he'd probably feel the same as well. Fortunately, Kairne was different with its use of politicians suggesting policies for the people, not deciding the policies themselves.

"Back to my explanation... Kairne's current government—at the core of the system—was founded by three men. Rotto Valogna, Kakarotto's ancestor; Bejita Pioneeri, my ancestor; and Xetsu Rutabaski, our resident speedster's ancestor. Valogna however, gave much of the credit to Pioneeri's integration of survey consensus to select a leader, via the use of province districts that the Assassin's Bureaus spanned across the entirety of the land to achieve such a feat. From there, it was decided that Valogna be the one in charge of our military, which changed after a while to determine through a merit system and heavy examinations, somewhat like the Bar exams lawyers would take. My ancestor, however, was elected a chancellor and then opted for a position as an educator, enforcing the emphasis of enlightenment Rutabaski recommended to them—since he detested political matters."

"What about Rutabaski? What did he choose to do, since it's been established that the family doesn't live like royalty?"

"I was getting to that," Vejita scolded the less reserved one. This next part was his particular favorite, since it had a lot to do with his ancestor as well.

"When Rutabaski was unanimously selected as their leader, he shocked the people by stepping down and erecting a sort of advising council. He never wanted to be a supreme despot—having seen first hand how corrupted De Lupos had become after feeling obliged to work for the safety of the majority—and made certain with the help of Pioneeri to utilize Bureau leaders for a check-and-balance concept that he was trying to get publicly approved. That included taking_ Padrone_ as the title of his position, and incorporated them in a succession ceremony where the next leader would be voted upon from the Rutabaski family. They weren't so sure about Rutabaski's ideas, since he opted to be a moral leader and left a lot of room for society to corrupt the system. It contrasted the idea of Objective Morals coming from a higher power seeing as religion was deeply taking root in 11th century Kairne. However, it was because he knew and took some of Valogna's words to heart, that Xetsu had the idea of evolutionary psychology affecting the role of subjective morality inside a population's society. Those same words are what each successor of the Rutabaski family state in an oath when the time comes for them to represent."

"Ah, so that means you, Valogna, and Rutabaski are descendants of historical figures. But what happened to the roles that the Pioneeri and Valogna families took back in the beginning?" Asked Henry, before Anthony could voice his question first.

Sighing deeply, Vejita didn't want to tell them that there was an family feud on that particular issue. "Back before the Great War broke out, my household was subject to take things with a rationality perspective of the global community. Kairne was threatened, and there had been a carriage accident that left the _Padrone_ of that time a widower, likely having been part of an attempt to get him out of the picture. Valogna's numbers were also dwindling so—in an attempt to protect their identities—my forefathers gave them an estate—on the condition that Valogna would look after the _Padrone's_ surviving successor. Of course, after the war, my family had disowned their roles as educators, opting to take responsibility of the military, in case a relapse of the war broke out, and they needed immediate response. However, emphasis of the sciences were still thriving, and with Juliano Marzo—the son of the successor known as Tarique—Kairne's values of logic and education were undoubtedly supported after the global devastation the war caused."

Finally finished with his long explanation of the brief history of their government, Vejita drank a cup of water that Henry provided in foresight. However, Anthony was highly interested with the oath which was required of their leaders to take part of. Even if they were a moral leader, it should have been something that they were taught since childhood, so why the redundancy?

"Eh? Well the oath was rather much like a form of atonement for Xetsu."

"What happened then. Your nation isn't obnoxiously devout like ours, so what was the sin which made Rutabaski Xetsu consider the need to remind his family about?"

That, the general's son did not know. However, military history was required of him to remember all the past battles that were considerably avoidable, which was a bit disappointing for their nation, but even more so when it was recorded by his ancestor Bejita in regards to a certain strife that made Xetsu regret what he had done. He didn't know the specifics, but what was done haunted The First Rutabaski _Padrone_, especially after returning from his voluntary exile.

At that very moment, the boys found their fifth member, "Kakarotto" bring in Rutabaski... the father of their speedster. Henry's eyes bucked at the sight; incredibly similar, though with medium brown hair and obviously taller than they knew Taritsu to be, the man was exactly as his son appeared to them, but had this cordial atmosphere about him. It was pungent, to say the least, and if anyone were petty, they would envy the man for appearing in such a manner that invoked ulterior motives... despite it not being the case for this particular individual.

Sedrick "Riccardo" Rutabaski, a man who outshines his son by approval ratings back in his day—and to this day as well. You were either fond of his attitude, or found it overbearing and supercilious—which was one of his very flaws of his personality. Wanting to help everyone and have them get along, he would tolerate a lot of hatred thrown at him by a minority, even taking much of the insults directed at his own son, which further added to the reasons why there was no middle ground on the public opinion of Sedrick.

After them was a rather youthful woman—whom you could mistake as the sister of Sedrick—and young girl, likely the age of Taritsu as well—which Anthony calculated from what he could tell by seeing her. She seemed rather uneasy, trying her best to keep the woman they were accompanied by sated, which further factored in with the fact that her modest sense of fashion was a few social classes below what the Rutabaskis were. Although, that was probably her choice to indicate respect towards the family who took her in.

"So this is the group of friends my son has made?" Sedrick whispered louder than necessary, though it was more of a means to remind himself that he was in fact seeing true people who his son trusted. He also disregarded Vejita in the equation, but nothing a little salute to the adolescent wouldn't fix—even if it was embarrassing for Vejita to have his father's secret greeting method emulated in perfection by Taritsu's father. Taking the time to see if they had anything to say, Catalina informed her son that she would take Paula with her—leaving Sedrick to confide on Charlotte. He wanted to find out if it was alright to interrupt their meeting before they recomposed their focus.

"Ahem... I'm sure you might know me by now; I am Mauricio's father, husband of princess Yanagi Kaido of Buruvia, and Kairne's representative in the Allied Nations Council. If you don't mind, may I know who you two are?"

Complying without being told twice, Henry satisfied Sedrick's request, explaining the exact information he ask for and even went ahead and stated that his son was an integral part of their team. Shaking his head in disapproval, Anthony decided to state his pseudonym when he introduced himself.

"I'm J~"

"Tony Sparks, right?"

That caught Anthony off guard. He never wrote his name on documentation while he was enrolled, and it was a pretty sure thing that the man before him wasn't particularly in charge of the documentations in regards to the contract his brother had agreed to. All Sedrick probably knew was that his son was working with a member of the Sparks family.

*amidst laughing* "My son and I communicate whenever possible, so I have heard about you two. Never did I picture seeing you guys in person though; seems my mind pictured boys... vastly different." He admitted that as if it were a common thing for father and son to get along, especially when they never particularly spent any quality time together once Taritsu had entered his teens.

"With all due respect sir, we'd love to talk, but we're currently discussing our mission details."

Vejita tried to stop Anthony from choosing that exact terminology, but ended up face palming as the older Rutabaski saw it quite interesting. If there was anything Vejita had been glad his father taught him about, it was to never tempt Sedrick with the prospect of a mission. "A mission huh? Debrief me on it; I'm sure working with my boy on tactics would get this finished in a jiffy."

"It's top secret though." Retorted Sparks rather annoyed at his overshadowing optimism.

"So is my son's place of birth." He shamelessly replied, wanting to contribute to their success. One could say that this was the manner which Taritsu and Sedrick bonded, considering having adventures as bonding time. True, Yanagi was initial opposed to Sedrick's choice of "Child Safe" adventures, but Sedrick eventually learned that it was entirely dependent on what his son wanted to do that mattered. Besides... there was something he wanted to ask Taritsu personally.

A moment of thinking on that matter brought Anthony some peace, until he saw how overbearing his acquaintance's father was expectant of an answer. How he was glad that Taritsu was the stoic contrast to the males in his family, having some of the traits from his grandfather Daisuke. True as he might be on that fact, Vejita disagreed with what Anthony was led to believe; Taritsu was always rambunctious and tenacious—a dangerous combination if you happened to go against him—but only recently came to an understanding of keeping it under control... when it was best to do so.

It was that very same reason that was a factor to Vejita's tendency to call him a clown, albeit he did so because he wanted to overcome this irrational hatred of clowns he had since he was a kid, so conditioning himself to feel calm whenever a true clown showed up was his end goal.

However, Taritsu's reasons for being stoic were for him to control what he dubbed his "personal monster of wrath". It seemed rather strange to Vejita that the boy would want to be cautious about it; he was targeted by disappointing socialists every day possible... back when Vejita was picking him up at the university. So what if he lashed out on someone who actually harmed him first?

"Fine, you can be our advisor for this mission. But only this one, you understand?"

Sedrick curtly nodded, having received a satisfying position that he so desired. Just as they finished their debriefing for Sedrick's recommendations, the man received notice from his two elder friends: Vasilis and Baddack. Though he knew that they only spoke in group messages when things were dire, Sedrick felt it could wait for a while later.

However, it seemed Baddack was being the most persistent out of the two this time, so he answered the call after excusing himself.

"Oi, Badda. Something up?"

"Sedrick, listen to me damn it. Never use that nickname when things are serious..." The pause was evident enough to make Sedrick retract his inappropriate tone. "There's grave news about your son."


	21. Chapter 21

**Arc II**

**Chapter 8**

**Instinct and Reason  
**

* * *

Consider the following scenario: You bring in a fainted lady friend, who happens to also be a striking beauty by societal standards; the fact reinforced by the looks some of the upper-division level males were giving as the male friend carries the lady friend with him. Since she had fainted, it was up to her friend to take her to the room which she rested in each night, whilst also having his siblings looked after by one of the faculty members he recognized. Now alone in her room and very much unaware of how pungent the pheromones he was sensing as he carried the girl, there was no doubt that he had an issue of staring at her—burning the delicate features which he came to know the summer of 1996.

Perhaps it was because he was alone with this beauty, that he felt so obliged to seek out the truth of the "facts" which he had heard of for so long. Knowing that the truth of the matter was that she was fainted earlier—reason probably because she was overwhelmed by the events before hand—the boy couldn't help but think of all those times he heard of the action which seemed to always work in fiction. "_Kiss the princess and she'll awaken._"—a common trope which appeared in myths, lore, and archetypal knowledge—and very persuading in its benefits of doing so, to say the least.

The door opened behind him as his little sister managed to trail him to the room, somehow escaping the watchful eye of the faculty member who was known to have a strict policy of never being outpaced by a student skipping detention. '_Got to remember to lock the room next time... er.. I mean_—_thank you for saving me from myself, little sister._'

It turned out that Aliya was actually leading their grandmother over to him, which was rather embarrassing having her seeing him in the room. With Euphemia, who for all intents and purposes was nonconscious. While also alone, with no one to prevent her from being violated. Fortunately Taritsu was not trying to reap such "goods" without consent, being glad enough with seeing her in such a state before him... although he felt it was rather easy to suckle on the tender and vibrant lips of the girl before him.

'_No! You are a scientist, a man of high esteem and honor. Sure, biologically I would be benefiting from the oxytocin, but it's manipulating the rules if I do it in such a discrete manner. Perhaps when she awakens on her own..._'

"...Ya~~~hoo, are you fantasizing,_ nipote_?" His grandmother's comment threw him off his concentration, further hammering down the punishment of which morality and the conscience dealt when he first began thinking in the vulgar manner. Unfortunately for him, Paula also happened to be right outside the room, so anything she probably heard was likely not taken lightly with her imagination.

Catalina Rutabaski gave out a deep sigh, glad to have found her eldest grandson before anything graphic happened. Definitely not possible, considering that this was Taritsu Maurice Kyousuke Rutabaski, but she felt that there was at least some significance of his true personality while covert. "It seems that your grandfather had intended for you to be named in honor of Cesare, but I never thought you'd also be following his... antics." She then inched a bit closer, informing him of a little advice—in exchange for some news. "_How far have you managed to get with her?_"

"Nonna!? Please, this isn't the time, nor an appropriate place to talk about such matters in."

Hearing the maiden stir in her rest, the occupants figured they'd best leave her alone, leaving the dorm in favor of a much more... appropriate location.

* * *

After they finished their debriefing, leaving all members free to do as they'd like, Anthony received an email from his elder brother, informing him of a vital situation that threw in a variable into his detailed plans. Taking the liberty to read it over Anthony's form, Henry wondered why he even went idle in the first place.

"So what if your brother has invited you to some conference meeting? It wouldn't be a problem with the plans... will it?"

Anthony wished he could assure him no, but he knew his elder brother fully, just as he knew the escape routes for his home, the tower, and pretty much all shelters he resided in after spending a few minutes in it. Be it as it may, his message included an invite for his friends as well, so long as he complied on a certain condition.

"N-no. It wouldn't. None that I can foresee, but it just means we'll have to compromise with it."

"Eh?" responded the remaining members of their five person team in unison. Of course, Taritsu wouldn't have any issues with what he was going to inform them, but Anthony had an unsettling feeling in his stomach. His brother's actions were like a wild card, and always did bring a bit of negative and positive impacts whenever he went through with his ideas.

"The better question is, how will Mr. Rutabaski help us that day. It seems that my brother has invited our speedster's parents as well, so this will be a persisting problem to keep him from distractions."

Originally, the plan was to find the prototype anonymous android known as "Project Evolve" before the scientists of E.A.S.Y. could get to it first. Unfortunately, it was because of his brother's "think-outside-the-box" maxim that made the outcomes rather unstable for Anthony. Now Anthony had to predict all possibilities since there may be observers present in the audience, reporting all that they saw back to their affiliated organization.

"You've been working on that for so long. Have you even ate?" Vejita began while reentering the room and noting that nothing really changed since he last been in there. It seemed that when it came to preparations, Anthony was superior than his own style of laying out the plans, especially since he was able to account for every detail etched into his memory. The only problem was that the adolescent rejected having aides in all this, which was understandable since focus was the emphasis key factor in his personal workshop.

"Eating can wait. I still have brain cells, and nourishment happens to recover any of my dying cells during sleep anyway."

He couldn't help but think that he was joking with him, especially since he hadn't been eating meals at the appropriate hours. Looking around the room however, indicated that he was wrong. It seemed Anthony did have his routine meals, and by the set up of the room, he wasn't taking care for his work environment hygiene.

'_Disgusting. Seems like intellectual children are all the same around this age._' "Then, have naps sufficed?"

He didn't nod, since Henry was directing him during the silence to satisfy Vejita with an answer. There was a designated spot in the room that served for a great, quick nap, which no doubt would occur routinely.

As he took in the view, Vejita turned to see him throw everything off his desk and place his head between his hands. A great sigh showed him that he was totally overburden with the task; something of that degree of work was not for one to do solo. That was why Vejita slowly began his recommendation, as politely as possible for his thinning patience.

"You should share some of your ideas with Rutabaski. He's been through similar problems as you're currently having, so there might be coping mechanisms that can assist."

"Ha! And risk everything on an equation that has observational errors? Our chances of victory couldn't get much lower than it does now."

His sarcasm, albeit mastered, was outright ignored by the general's son. If there was anything Vejita could stand behind, it was the fact that his oldest known friend was able to detect many errors in alternative decisions. There was no denying the fact that it was strong too, since Taritsu was capable of out-thinking a computer as it processed the same problems, which he answered a couple of milliseconds after, but with complete analysis.

Such a gift was highly valued in Kairne's military defense department, as Vasilis had once reported to his superiors, but getting the boy to have actual test runs at the facility was never a possibility. He hated violence, especially the uncalled for professions that dealed with violence, ever since he was a kid. Of course, this was around the time Vejita was also practicing with a chess board, so basing his knowledge on evidence as outdated as that was too subjective. '_I did see him multitasking on homework before. Number theory and a Research Paper..._'

"Just give him a chance, Sparks. We have the rest of the week before we're expected there anyway. You're jumping the gun too early, when we barely finished our briefing about an hour ago." Henry pointed out his flaws.

"Get him over here, then. I'll be working on the outcomes in the mean time."

Satisfied and walking out of the room, Vejita suddenly realized that he had no idea where said boy was located. Perhaps he'd have to try asking Kakarotto.

* * *

It seemed that appropriate by Catalina's standards meant using the "right out in the open" approach. All the boy could do was listen patiently and observe the occupants around them for anything strange; fortune was still with them since no one particularly recognized him without the glasses he would wear, though it did help that he wore a plain oriental shirt. '_The Cafe isn't a suitable area either, grandmother._'

His eyes widened at the fact that some of the other boys were casting him looks of envy since he was accompanied by Paula. Apparently she noticed it as well, and unsure of what to do, tried her best to act natural.

"So... _nipote_. Is she the one who you'll be marrying?"

A brief scan of the area was done in response to his paranoia of being targeted later. Of course, it wasn't that he was afraid of being attacked, but rather that his stalker was listening on to vital clues and connect the dots from there on. Figuring he was safe, the young adolescent tried his best to formulate a double entendre, fortunately utilizing some of the words which he learned from Vasilis when he had to filibuster on his father's behalf, due to having been caught up with Baddack. '_Yeah, I got this. Thank you for those lessons, Pioneeri._'

"Marrying? _No~_... more along the lines of~." He was immediately interrupted by a message on his phone and then a call. Seeing as his grandmother and Paula were distracted by the outsider's contact method, Taritsu had to excuse himself. After hearing the cheerful voice behind the unknown number, he began to interrogate the caller.

"How did you get my number?"

"My, my. You really think I don't have ways? Your mother and aunt gave it to me."

'_Aunt? Oh, nonna Catalina!_' She really looked far younger than what her age was, which was an unknown mystery that he would need to solve. Did it perhaps happen because of the blood transfusion when they first fought?

"So why did you call, Clarinda?"

"I told you to call me Claire, and my reason is simple. Let's hang out some time."

Eyeing his grandmother who was currently averting his gaze, she acted innocently as the boy internally wondered why she was meddling with his life. She had an eccentric manner of pushing her children to do things that they'd avoid, but also have this infectious demeanor like his father's overbearing aura of friendliness. "_Nonna_, I can not~"

"_Madonna_ Catalina," Paula cut his protest off, having known before hand that his mother had intended for him to be taught how to behave with a woman's request. Personally, Paula would had done it herself, but as she had no experience of what the average female is like, and the most she could provide was a couple of historical facts which her mother left behind, there wasn't much she could do. "Did his mother really had to request the appointment for him?"

'_Damn, if I decline, mom will let me have it, alright._' "Sure, C-Claire. When and where?"

With a smile, Catalina saw no issues arising as her daughter in law had predicted. She had met the girl several times after her grandson had months ago, and found her a likely candidate for his mate—seeing as she complimented his gloomy demeanor with her sunny personality.

* * *

Now tasked with the job to find her brother's friend, Charlotte checked all of the places the boy was known to spend his time. Utilizing these facts weren't so much as a problem as she had satisfied her growing hunger, so deciding that he would also be taking a break, Charlotte took the shorter route.

The same route which passed the Cafe.

"_So you have a date, nipote._" she heard the familiar feminine voice of Catalina Rutabaski conclude. At first, she took a moment to recognize what she heard, but taking a glance into the Cafe, a feeling of implosion overtook her feelings.

'_He loves another..._' A voice from within was assuming the worse, trying to throw Charlotte off as she thought it was her own reasoning.

'_No. I must have heard wrong. He's learned a lot of things over the years, accents and idioms being a few I know._' While true that he learned english during his time acquainted with Nora Levy, Charlotte knew far better than to assume that he would change drastically. Taritsu was someone who valued knowledge and reason, especially when meanings were heavily involved in his lifestyle. Her brother would always inform her that he was simply being himself, that there wasn't much to worry; he could have simply decided on experiencing what it was like to court someone, but why did it feel so strange to her?

'_This pain... it's because he doesn't really want you..._'

"It's not like that, nonna. Though I do know why that seems like something akin to the term." He rambled off, wondering exactly what he would be doing. Women had always found him attractive, even though he was drastically younger than them. He didn't know how, but apparently some of the girls he met had complimented him on his cute appearance, finding his sense of responsibility a turn on—which he immediately classified them as somewhat dangerous to interact with. Fortunately, Vejita was able to garner their attention away from him, since he was more around their age group than he was.

"Alright, then. How about we find your father; I'm sure he'd tell you how to handle this kind of experience." Catalina started, seeing her grandson distracted by someone at the entrance. She saw as he was transfixed on his closest friend, Charlotte—as they called her—but she seemed like she had some sort of dilemma. What Catalina was able to decipher from him was that he seemed to actually yield a kind of love for the girl, like Johannes had reserved for her, but she could be wrong. His adolescence was said to place him in a state of primal desire, which was one of the tasks Johannes had told her before hand to formally lecture him about. '_That or he runs off every time he feels uncomfortable._'

He increased the grip in his hands, almost drawing blood from the incredible force. Taritsu subconsciously kept himself from making a scene, seeing Charlotte innocent and for the taking. He could walk up to her and whisk her away if he wanted, but the boy's consideration for her overshadowed those vulgar thoughts.

'_Although, I'm not entirely certain if they'd frown upon it, they could act upon their desires while they share the same room. So long as they keep it a secret; what I did with Johannes wasn't really so bad._' She saw as he got up, finally determined to challenge his base urges, which Catalina recognized with a subtle hint of swagger. In truth, she didn't mind that he'd go for the girl, but it was a bit mysterious as to why Yanagi told her to keep the two away from this sort of relationship. They had grown up together, so why couldn't they?

"Oi, Kakarotto. You okay?"

"Hmm?" Charlotte's innocent response allowed her to disregard all thoughts she was having before. Fortunate for calming their anxiety—especially the pessimistic ideas which Charlotte's mind was coming up with—but risky as Taritsu was captivated further.

One may not have noticed that the girl had a literal second essence within her, but it was evident as Paula observed her carefully; this wasn't like Taritsu's, where the flame was merely stoked into a stronger version of itself at necessary times. Far more interesting and mysterious than that, Charlotte's essence assimilated another's, much like a technique done by mystics to improve the quality of life and power of a disadvantaged individual.

"Oh. I'm fine, really. Thanks for asking."

A brief pause kept the others from leaving, but as Catalina observed the two friends, she found herself satisfied by her grandson's interactions. Even though he was a reserved boy compared to Johannes, Taritsu was a lot like him, looks and all. '_That consideration of others is great and all, but he'll need to choose someone soon. Jojo made his decision years ago when we first met, though he did question the idea of polyamory when I asked him to promise me we'd all have a big family together._' At the knowledge of this, Catalina prompted her younger grandchildren away, giving the two their time alone.

"Somehow I can't help but wonder, Kakarotto." Taritsu began, a bit nervous as he tried to keep himself in line. It was never him who'd ask for aid, as it'd usually be others coming to him, seeing him as an endless reservoir of knowledge. "I... I'm.." He felt a thick bulge in his throat, having prepared himself to tell her that she was needed. No, needed wasn't the term that encompassed his issue. Vital was the proper vocabulary he recognized, especially since he had procrastinated on asking about her brother.

"Er... Come with me." He immediately pulled her close to him, having seen a particular individual staring at the two. Although he didn't catch a good glimpse of the person, he was certain that it was a female and had olive-green eyes. Although he never seen that person before, she seemed rather familiar... and just around their age.

Flushed at the fact that she was so close to him, Charlotte allowed herself to oblige to his wishes. Perhaps it was fantasy which invoked her mind to comply, but in either case, Taritsu was rather aware of the fact that he couldn't risk his closest friend to harm. If need be, he'd carry her out of the building himself, and it seemed all the more likely as more people seemed to turn around the corner of the least occupied hall.

'_Damn._' "Charlotte. Forgive me for what you'll feel afterwards."

"Wha~"

Their surroundings were replaced by a clear meadow, the same which she recognized as the training grounds which they usually practice together as a whole.

"Umm? What did you want to talk to me about since you brought me out here, Taritsu?" Charlotte, having an expectant look, wished dearly that he could treat her similar to how he was earlier with Paula. It was that protective nature of his that made her certain that she wasn't alone most of the time, and while not a religious individual, she could tell he valued creation the same way as they would rant about it every other week.

Most of all, she wanted him to take her away, and now isolated from public, felt her heart rate rising. Heat profusing onto her face, Charlotte had no clue as to why she had such illicit thoughts, most of which were vulgar and degrading. Of course, since she was used to cross-dressing, she knew a lot about the opposite sex, but those were scientific knowledge; whereas her dilemma was figuring out why she felt compelled to want him in such a manner if it was never the case before.

Suddenly, she felt the acidity of her stomach drawing against her, reinforcing the warnings Taritsu had informed her off vaguely.

"_Sharu, spit it out before you choke on it_." Taritsu felt disgusted with himself for having forced her to the effects of the G-forces he was somehow used to, which was rather intriguing. Not that he wasn't afraid of the biological effects of his super speed, but he was trying to figure out how his physiology wasn't naturally degenerating from all the high speeds he had been running at with little to no time spent in acceleration.

Finally finished cleaning her mouth from the stomach acid which still burned at her throat, Charlotte found herself being offered a package of plain yogurt for her relief. Confused at first as to how he was able to carry that with him at all times, he simply showed her the receipt which indicated he had left briefly.

"_Sharu_, I'm sorry about doing that to you." He then considered the words he needed to say next. Because he had known the existence of a second consciousness in his being, Taritsu was quite afraid of what it could do, especially since all the other times that he was put to sleep or blacked out left him with no memory of what his guest had done. Except, he did experience something far worse the other day.

A darkness, which consumed at him, urged him to act upon instinct and aspire for victory. Had he not known better, it would have been the manifestation of his violence that was controlling him; fortunately Gouken taught him meditation techniques to calm his mind, but the fact was still known. Could he do the same to his family, if they so happen to get on his bad side? What about his friends; would they be safe?

"It's okay, Tari." Her stomach feeling better, Charlotte wondered what was the cause for his sudden excursion. He would never do something as reckless as he had just done then, and it was particularly frightening to think he was afraid as well. Taritsu was the stronger one; he always was more grounded into reality, and never let his emotions get the better of him. In fact, when asked about anything he wasn't particularly interested in—or what his motives were for certain situations—he'd simply tell you, rather than allow emotions give away his intention. "Was there... something wrong back there?"

* * *

"I see..."

Valeria had finished telling her brother's grandson the secret legacy of their family, one which Carles and her father tried to keep them from suffering the effects of events that took place many centuries ago. "You don't seem so surprised, now that you know what you are, Johannes. Why is that?"

"I had suspected that this was the case for my feats, our epinephrine affinity, as well as my extended youth—even to this day! What took Catalina six years, I managed in six weeks. I asked Daisuke about it, and he said it was perfectly normal; that we were similar. So I thought I have been losing my mind, wondering why Sagratia had been quick to retaliate against us over the years, but now I know it's because of what our forefathers were... and what they had done."

Nodding, Valeria remembered what her father had stated a long time ago. She was the newest member of a millennium old family—they referred to these families as "_Seiya-jins_" or simply "_Saiyans_", being the chosen few of Seiya's children to encompass all the wonderful gifts of their species. It was also the fact that Rutabaski was made their champion, for he would protect all from harm, but this was her personal duty, and it was her way to keep the Rutabaskis from being offed.

"Then... that is why you never told us why we couldn't do this or that, only to keep it a secret?"

Solemnly, she confirmed it. It wasn't something she wished to keep from them, especially since it was essentially lying to the children of her brother, but it was necessary ever since the end of The Great War. Valeria could still remember the shouting which several of the members of Sagratia were giving off in hatred, afraid of being subjected to what else Kairne could dish out with their population. What happened afterwards was out of her control, but fortunately, the massacre which Valentine's supporters were involved in didn't set off a second war, thanks to Diego of course.

"Yes. It's not something I wanted to talk about lightly, but the secret would have needed a reveal sooner or later." Valeria hadn't really set a date for when it was necessary, but lately she had been considering it, with the development of Taritsu and all. His growth was sooner than expected, and knowing what she could via the use of her tools, she saw a grim future ahead of them. '_Good. Valery has already met with him. She could guide them when I'm gone._'

Johannes had lived his entire life thinking many things. He knew that his father was a world renown scientist, revered as "The Man of tomorrow" and that he was also an ally against the Euric Devils during his time. But to think, that his death came from a group a members who he trusted with his life?

"How... how could they have been so certain, that they thought my father was becoming one of those... MONSTERS!?"

Urging him to calm down, Valeria repeated what she said once more. "Although he was a tailed one, Marzo was infected with their blood. His father was a special case, having been fortunate of clawing the substance out of him in a frenzy, but the transition it caused in his biology made him... bestial. That's not to say that vampirism isn't avoidable; Tarique did manage to purge himself of it, but... our allies were afraid."

"A werewolf? Or is the term Were-Ape?" It was not something he wanted to debate about, but the impression it gave off was rather frightening. To think that their lineage was that of the tailed-ones was true; they were not regular individuals like he was lead to grow up thinking, but an amalgamation of all four subspecies. "Is that why they call us the royal family? Because my grandfather was their leader?"

"More like a _Mandrillus_, actually; but yes, it isn't something you can deny, Johannes! They were afraid, not because of what we were, but because they felt obsolete comparably."

In retrospect, Valeria had known that her brother had been able to control the transformation each time he used it. At first he ended up merely gaining the features that could easily be mistaken by those of wolf, seeing as her brother had traveled on all fours; soon it worsen when the proximity of the moon neared, and one of the last battles he had was when he went under the full transformation. Seeing that he was able to control it brought hope to the people, but every one else harbored feelings of fear that they were nearing the last of their existence.

"So my father was killed years later? Seems illogical, considering the delay."

Frowning, Valeria remembered how she managed to convince everyone to leave her nephew alone. It wasn't pretty, and she found herself losing suitors as she was developing into an iron lady to protect him. Fortunately, she met Benjamin, and he encouraged Marzo to take the sciences, since he could easily interact with others as equals for a common cause. "No, at first they were afraid of my authority. They had witnessed what your grandfather could do, and believed we could conquer their territories at an unfathomable rate. If anything so happened to Kairne's people, we would retaliate, so they let us be for a few decades."

Sensing he was still not accepting the truth, Valeria continued with her explanation. "Your father was many things during his life, especially before you were born, Johannes."

"Eh?"

Clearing her throat, Valeria continued with the secret double life he lived. "He was a science hero, and incorporated Hadou manipulation into his assets. Of course, since there weren't many masters in Kairne at the time, and with my concern for his well being out of our borders, I kept him bound from leaving the continent. Thus, he never knew much more that what he needed, and didn't find it necessary to practice. Of course, his uncle told him he could go against my wishes, so long as it was under the condition that he keep his identity a secret and follow his words of wisdom. As such, he created web-shooters, and dubbed himself: Wall Crawler."

"And the Holaska treaty? Was that part of the conspiracy as well?"

What Johannes Greil knew of that treaty was nothing more than the fact that it was made during the year of his birth, and that it kept Sagratia and Pyrastrene from attacking underdeveloped countries. Nothing more in particular occurred that year... except for the fact that his mother had disappeared. "They killed my mom, didn't they?"

She scolded him for his irrational conclusions, though felt sympathy for the grandfather as he had to deal with the cumulative issues. "No, that was simply a method to keep them from setting up advantageously positioned camps. With them being so close to the population, I had them comply to my demands; especially since they used nuclear weapons, the risk of killing thousands for an ethnicity that's been dwindling over the years was inhumane. Besides, your mother was Lisa Lisa, the Grunde Schützen actress. She was unable to take care of you for most of your childhood, and Marzo had accumulated many enemies over the years. You did meet her once—when you were about three years old; I still have the old photo which was taken with the three of you together, if you want it."

Knowing that his true mother was looked after by his father brought Johannes at peace for that brief moment he thought ill will towards his mother; it also shed some light on his father's interactions with the wife of his closest friend and the housekeeper of the Padrone's palace. Years had been spent thinking that Arianna was his mother, when in actuality it was true for Cesare. '_It explains why he was insistent on telling me she wasn't my mother, despite being raised as brothers. A tradition known as polyamory, something Cesare wanted to continue with our children._'

"Yeah, that would be great." His simple reply made Valeria question whether he was taken it in smoothly, and not developing a grudge. He was an angry child back in the day, and it served as a double edge sword, with it being more of a nuisance nowadays after the Euric Devils were taken care of.

"Anyway, Johannes," Valeria still had a few more points to go over, but it seemed that the grandfather was now overwhelmed with information overload. It wouldn't be of use that he'd be so stressed out, but at least now she could sleep better knowing that half of the information was passed on. "I am not sure what you will be doing with that information, but please keep in mind that we have never started wars because of grudges. Avenging in the spur of the moment for the sake of the innocents have been our policy, as is the fact that the Kairnese are historically chosen by Seiya's favorites. This is a fact which the world chooses to ignore, hiding behind ideologies of religions and wrongdoings as they continue to refer to us as demons."

'_There better not be any wicked ideas formulating. I still can't believe after everything we've done, the world leaders aren't leaving us live in peace. Exactly what ills have our forefathers done to deserve us of these atrocities?_'

Johannes, still blank in expression, blinked a couple of moments and finally concluded his thoughts. There wasn't any malice on his mind, nor could he forgive their allies for what they did to his father, but he was willing to look over it if they left his family alone. "Well... one thing is for certain, thanks to you, aunt Valeria."

"Hmm? And what would that be?"

Sporting that goofy that was seemingly inheritable in each generation, Johannes revealed the optimistic advantage from the grim reveal. "Taritsu... he's not the sole being who's been going through all this as much as he thinks. No matter what happens now... we'll be there with him to see that our future—everyone's future—turns out better that whatever the hypocrites have been instilling into the minds of the common man. You can hold that one on me; I guarantee it, aunt Valeria."

* * *

Silently obliging with his eldest friend, Sedrick awaited for the information provided. He had known that the possibility of his boy showing his true abilities would come soon, but never did he believe the Legend that his father told him about.

_"Every thousand years, a being arises with power that is unrivaled. A golden power, which manifests from the heavens, like our ancestors: Firanze and Xetsu, and of course, Tarique. However, with each passing millennia of these beings coming into existence, a counterpart like no other is created on a night of a cosmological rarity, every so 5000 years. That counterpart is known as The World Breaker, a being that can break reality." _

_"Why father? Why keep this from us; why did you make me marry Yanagi, when it seems you're doing this for personal gain?"_

_The 42 year old man sighed. He knew this confrontation would happen some day, and it had to have been after his in-law had sacrificed her virtue for Sedrick's survival. Of course, his son wanted to keep away from Yanagi_—_out of respect of her consent_—_since he felt that he was utilizing her vulnerable state of mind after the wretched events. _

_"Decades ago, when I was still capable, I fought against an ancient evil. Wham, the Euric Devil who I deemed the most honorable_—_like that of a friendly rival_—_told me that I was exactly like the one who sent them into their petrified state. He was talking about Firanze, and he said that it appears that my lineage will beget a being like that of the legend."_

_"But that's a story, even you stated that the Euric Devils had legends, and the one you stated was repeated to you by one of their own. How can you be so certain that our millennia is nearing the approximate date, father?" _

_Johannes didn't want to acknowledge the fact that Wham had lied, but the man had helped him in the end by stealing the Red Stone with his last dying breaths. He also stated that Motas was very envious of the Children of Seiya, and Johannes was a reminder of that fact. To think that he was implying that his lineage was indeed connected to their Great Mother. "Story or not, I theorize that the night it is referring to is the Sanguine-Sapphire eclipse, and it was also predicted by our ancestor... give or take a few translation errors."_

_Unbeknownst to anyone else, Johannes had already found and read the codex of their ancestor: Xetsu Rutabaski. He confirmed stating that it was necessary for the lineage to converge with that of Boruvia, so it was out of that reason that the man decided to enact an arranged marriage._

_"Our forefather, the one revered for his sacrifices, he had foreseen and recorded it for his progeny. He knew of the issues we would face, and the necessary alliances we would need to make. Of course, you may think this is but utter nonsense... but it is also how I knew Wham was not lying."_

_Sedrick_—_having been told by both his father and forefather_—_silently assessed the possibilities he could take. For one, he knew that he couldn't risk the child to be born on the prophesied night, so his plan was to delay procreating his first born. _

_"Fine." He dejectedly gave in, hoping that his father wouldn't find out what he had in mind. "You've convinced me, but what of Yanagi? She wouldn't want her child to be an outcast; especially since you said Motas told everyone publicly that he would protect them from The World Breaker. What if they figure it out?" _

_Johannes, feeling that he was being told that his motives where in the wrong, carefully assured his son. "We are the Champions of Seiya, and of the family Rutabaski. The lifestyle we live reinforces us to live in the best of ideals, so I have no fear that this World Breaker would be threatening. As for Yanagi, she may live with you in the Ordana Province. It's only a couple of miles from Valeria, and she says that the people there are much more open minded to things."_

"...you following what I said?"

Having been startled, the father in question sheepishly asked for a repeat of the last comment. As such, the typical frustrated sigh of the older male indicated how much Sedrick had missed. "I was with the boy in Chapelure. He had fought against the monster... I call it Hulk. Anyway, Taritsu's bracers were broken, and the result made his energy go out of control. Well, actually... he defeated Hulk—since his bracers were able to siphon most of the energy it was trying to accumulate, but Taritsu wasn't so lucky."

Baddack didn't know what it was or what exactly occurred, but his observation was positive to the finest detail. He saw how the boy had been reinforcing his own body with positive Hadou, making sure to erase distractions from his mind to defeat Hulk, but after the bracers were broken...

It was another case entirely.

"Red. The aura he had was red, and violently too. He was first using a blue aura, but then it turned yellow, and his eyes were blank. Then red was obviously washing over him. I don't know and haven't a clue as to what it was, but Vasilis claims he should be checked by Tarres—just to be on the safe side."

Immediately, Sedrick threw in his own input. "What about after; was he able to calm down?"

"Well... it took a while, but once he did recognize what he was doing, he's been applying more and more of his positive Hadou to calm himself. It isn't as good as the Bracers Icarus has given us, but he seemed confident in his ability to control himself."

"Actually, I wouldn't count on that," Vasilis chimed in, now realizing that he had also seen how the boy would be like without the aid of his bracers. Between the period of time when he went into the feral state and the event a day before, Vejita and the boy had been challenging each other on who could capture the most criminals. Of course, Vejita saw it was one-sided, but he wanted the challenge anyway.

"Taritsu and Vejita had been messing around, and when he recognized he couldn't save him in time—having skipped out on lunch—he decided to take off the bracers briefly for the supplement energy supply. Needless to say, he becomes hyper-aggressive, and very distracted—especially without an outlet to focus himself on. If he's been focusing his entire being on preventing himself from that tendency, then there is a likely chance that he'll be interested in other things—especially now that he's of age."

That implied many things, especially the ones such as Baddack having his daughter at risk for sharing a room with the boy. Knowing this, Vasilis jabbed at Baddack's insecurity and risked being stabbed, all while referring to the possibility of the two becoming parents. "You got to admit though. Sharing grandchildren with your friends seems like a life goal completed. What could be wrong about that?"

"MANY THINGS," growled the 53 year old man. There was a stigma that he had when his daughter was born, constantly being reminded of the fact that she looked like his own mother. Fortunately, he had someone capable of looking after her, and would especially work hard to ensure that she wouldn't share a similar fate. On the other hand, he did not want to lose his daughter's favor for being thickheaded, especially because of the dealings he made to protect his children. '_Worst case scenario is that they figure it out. I would lose my daughter's love, and they will hate me._'

Sedrick, in an attempt to seek aid from a relevant authority, walked through the halls until he found the double doors of the institute's Director. Speedwagon was someone he knew a lot about, but never personally met the man. From the stories he heard from as a child, it was Phillip Speedwagon Senior who had been with his great-grandfather, aided his grandfather, and helped his father defeat the Euric Devils. Now—more than ever—he needed the help that their family could provide, and would he be damned as to let his son be subject to the ill effects of his own power. '_Fate and prophesy shall not dictate his life. If need be, I am more than willing to give up my own freedom._'

Having used the buzzer, Sedrick was allowed to enter, with himself facing a middle aged man who was just a bit older than his father. If he hadn't known any better, he would had confused him for a rock star, seeing as he had that checkered top hat and flowing hair. Only due to the fact that he wore a proper academic suit—consisting of a blue vest sweater—did the father conclude that he was at the right location.

"Ah, Riccardo Rutabaski; better known as "Sedrick" to the public. What can I assist you with today."

Clearing his throat, Sedrick felt unnaturally calm in his presence. Quite like he was conditioned to trust the man, his own blood felt much warming with him around, rather than when he wore the thick overcoat during his travel here. "I was visiting due to my son being free this holiday week. Although it may seem his tendencies are a bit... introverted, I had been told that he seems to be getting along with his companions."

"Behavioral problems? I presume that to be an interesting topic to start with," Amadeus mutter a couple words as he opened a cabinet to pull out the documents for Jotaro Kujo. Satisfied with his quick findings, Amadeus pulled out a rather thin looking portfolio, which wasn't much out of the ordinary for the first quarter of the year. "Here we are," he stated whilst placing on his reading glasses.

"Your boy has shown progress in his own confidence, especially since the last couple of days. There are a few things I would like to talk to him about, but everything else is fine."

That didn't bode so well with Sedrick though. He needed to know, no—he had to know. "I have time to spare for a conference. Have him meet us here for his issues."

"Unfortunately, Riccardo." Amadeus dejectedly began, finally knowing that the young father before him did not catch on with what he was implying. It appeared to him that he didn't know his secret heritage... which was the exact thing he wanted to talk about. But first, he needed to ease him in with the academic portion that was used as his cover story. "...your boy has not shown much enthusiasm with others."

"..."

Sedrick had expected this was the case; it was always the same with his son, especially since his intelligence made him susceptible to see things for its whole value—mainly that he'd evaluate the negative side of things would outweigh the positive. However, while he knew that things were made as such, Taritsu aspired to seek out the genuine things in life. A sort of truth that made things feel meaningful, even if bitter—because then, only then, could creating a new meaning make things better. '_That's what he said when I asked him after Baragus attempted assassinating him. It's incredible really; him being both Yanagi's and mine, we raised a boy capable of determining between right and wrong on his own._'

"Err... how so?"

At this, Amadeus felt reassured that he didn't alert the father. It seemed to him that usually parents would be quite concerned at the tone he would usually use, but Sedrick seemed to understand a lot more about his own son than anyone else. "Well... he doesn't try to talk much outside of what's necessary with others. Some of the students wonder how he's even in the same grade, considering his perfect responses. However, it's not that academics really concerns others; the relationships he has with others... it's sort of... sheltered."

"Like he doesn't want to share his own feelings, correct?"

Amadeus, appalled at the man's remarkable detail in that sentence alone, summarized his son's issues. "How long have you known this of the boy?"

"Ever since he had been attacked by a gang, my son had... changed, so to speak." It wasn't that Taritsu wanted to, but ever since Brolli's gang jumped him, the cautious nature of his exponentially grew to remain silent and observant. This was more evident while in unknown territory, especially since his son didn't want to risk any innocent bystanders to get involved. "Honestly, he was much more lively before the event, especially when it came to his favorite hobbies and such. I do remember him going on rants, given the chance to do so, but afterwards... Let's just say my son has dedicated himself to speak less and observe more."

The director knew where Sedrick was coming from; his own son was much the same, and definitely had a change after participating in the Nichyese war. Perhaps it was simply a matter of maintaining his emotions to covet the pain, but he was certain Taritsu showed a lot more emotion around those he considered were close friends. "Well yes, I suppose that is one way of putting it." Having been send a message by Johannes briefly paused him in mid-speech. After excusing himself to see what it was about, he returned to speaking with the young father.

'_I didn't think Johannes would have liked to have me inform them so soon, though this should be his job._' "It seems your father has some vital news to talk about."

* * *

While the conversation ended on a light note, the two teens were having a rather difficult time looking each other in the eye. For once, Taritsu considered trying to confess what he felt at that moment, having become overwhelmed by his base urges, but reassured that it was not something natural to feel lust at such an extreme like he was having. No matter what he tried, his concentration was wobbling, and what little grasp he had to keep himself in line was soon being stripped by a familiar voice.

"_Protect the female. She is yours, and will be what serves for your legacy._"

"Gwah!"

Hearing him suddenly exclaim in fright, Charlotte immediately ran over to help him up, ensuring that he could concentrate on what he was trying to do. However, with him trying his best not follow the commands, the boy slapped her hand away, only to realize what insensitive means he had used to keep her safe.

'_Don't listen to it. It just wants you to lose control, to manipulate you so that it can take over._' "Keep away... Charlotte. I don't want to harm you."

With wavering eyes of unadulterated emotion, this was the first time in months that Charlotte had seen her friend be his true self. No, there wasn't anything he was trying to do to keep her from finding out, nor did he want to covet his pain anymore. Months of keeping himself in check to protect others, he tried to hide it behind a stoic face, certain that his enemies could exploit his emotions against him.

"Ka...karotto." He began, albeit in a weak tone. Grasping at the bundles of grass beneath them, she noticed how the agony worsen, especially since his senses burned with Charlotte being so near. What he was experiencing seemed like someone had bunched up lots of spices at his nose, making it scrunched in the putrid strength which overwhelmed his olfactory senses. Hair turning cobalt, a burning feeling made his heart race, making him preoccupied in registering the effects happening in himself. Even worse still, he was beginning to hallucinate two figures in his mind.

One looked familiar to him, holding what appeared like a chain, while the other was shrouded and reminded him of a demon. The familiar immediately told him to get back in control, exclaiming out loud that he shouldn't lose himself to the alternatives the shrouded one was recommending.

"Kakarotto... your sister..."

Petrified at his pain, Charlotte saw how the look in his eye transitioned to that of feral lust. Mind going away to instinct, there were a few things he was capable of recognizing, one which seemed to bring fear into his primal mind. Behind Charlotte... was a second being, who he did not know. That's when the brother in question appeared as requested, suddenly taking control of the situation as the unknown disappeared. As soon as he did, Taritsu's primal mind was able to figure it out, and tried to attack the intangible spirit. Only once Kakarotto told his sister to utilize her Hadou abilities, did she regain control of her petrified body.

"I don't want to hurt him!"

"Neither does he want to force himself on you!" Kakarotto had seen what effects his sister's best friend was having, and he certainly didn't want her to come to pain at the guilt if something like that were to occur now. "Strike him on his nose, that's usually the recommended area for this sort of thing."

With a bit of sadness, Charlotte steeled herself for her friend's pain, and landed her hits dead center on target.

The effects left Taritsu stupefied and—unable to comprehend why he was acting like such in the moment before—suddenly pieced together how he had failed Charlotte and himself. Seeing her frightened to an extreme, and overwhelmed by guilt, Taritsu ran off in the opposite direction.

"_Frère_. What w-was that about?"

Knowing that he had been gone for too long before, Kakarotto took the liberty to pick up the jacket the boy left behind from his small bout of pain, and covered his little sister with it. It was high time he tell her exactly what he was doing during their enrollment.

"I've been visiting other worlds, some which take alternative choices to events like we've faced before. In all of them, one factor persists, and it is the fact that our friend here has grown back his tail."

Confused as to what he was talking about, Charlotte reminded her brother that the tail fact was nonsense. He had removed it on his own, so there shouldn't be any tail on him at all, since it wouldn't grow back.

"No, that's only for a certain group. The same is true for you, of course. Both of you are from similar subspecies; in fact, our families are from the same subspecies."

"And what would that be, _Frère_?"

Knowing that telling her a term that technically went extinct would compromise its plans, the unknown subliminally planted the word and knowledge in Kakarotto. "Saiyans."

Dumbfounded, Charlotte quickly figured that he was using a play on the term "Seiya-jins", but seeing his look, she tried prying more information out of him. "What does that have to do with... this."

"That... my dear sweet sister, is what happens when a Saiyan falls into heat. Female pheromones would usually provoke the male, and the female who does so becomes his target of affection. However, it seems he's being rather... considerate of his actions, especially since he isn't like a normal variant of a Saiyan." '_Strange how he's affected by many compared to other Saiyans._'

Taking the information in like a sponge, Charlotte's mind wandered to the possibility that she was really the one Taritsu wanted to be with. Of course, this meant she blushed madly at the thought scolding herself for thinking in such a lewd manner. '_I'm just the little sister of his best friend. I'm no more than a family member._' Then that reminded herself of the fact that he was going on a date later on. '_Maybe, just maybe... we can be more than that._'

"_Sharu-chan_. How about we keep this fact a secret for now?"

* * *

Racing past the forest, the recently lust crazed boy tried his best to remain calm. Never had he felt this sort of rush, but with the overactive mind he had, headaches—much like the searing pain like before—persisted to take over his vision. Grabbing onto his temple and leaning onto a nearby tree, the boy tried his best to recognize what he was seeing.

_All they had for a reply was his chaotic chuckle. "You really want to take over the world don't you?" He started taking off his bracers, having learned to control the power within him. A blood red aura enveloped him, changing his eye and hair color to match the aura; the only difference was that he accepted the power. It was a part of him he learned to live with, but he acknowledge the fact that giving in to the effects would compromise his goals. _

_"People like you are exactly what I want to change. Power corrupts the benevolence of the world, but absolute power... that corrupts beyond what we even know." _

_Then, without warning, his scowl became that of a psychotic grin. "Come at me, and teach me what the world you envision is!"_

Morbidly scarred at the vision he saw, Taritsu did not know what he could do. '_Is that... is that my future?_' He didn't seem to know how old he was in that vision, but what he did see was that the bracers he had were still intact. For the first time since they were broken, he felt glad that they were.

"_No, but be careful with what is happening to you. Don't give in just because your composure is weak; you don't want that._"

'_Who are you?_' He had been wondering what his inhabitant was, and what he wanted. Now he really needed to find out what exactly were its motives.

"_...your friend._"

The feeling of a hand on his shoulder made him jump at the touch. Without having the chance to turn around and face his intruder, he felt the other hand slip a pill into his mouth and was whacked at the chest to make him swallow it. Afraid and pissed off at what they did, Taritsu finally managed to catch the appearance of his intruder. Sporting a red band in her pink hair and cozy white scarf that complimented the red suede jacket of hers, he noted the fact that the girl was suited for winter conditions above her torso, but still wore a short skirt that didn't provide anything against the cold.

Then, to make him swallow, she kissed him deeply.

"You bitch! What the hell did you drug me with?"

It was the first occurrence where someone was able to sneak up on him, but even worse, it was the first someone could take advantage of him. In his eyes, the pink haired girl that was currently observing him with unrelenting eyes was an enemy, if not another one of his stalkers. He also noticed how she felt a bit hurt at the insult he used, but soon mumbled an apology after recognizing that she tricked him.

"I...well... do you still feel it?"

"What the hell are you talking about." He began in a defensive retort, unwilling to pay her any respect. What she had done was unforgivable, but as soon as he began to notice how his nose wasn't bothered by the pheromones, he began having second thoughts. "W-Who are you?"

"Doesn't matter much, but I'm Euphemia's friend, roommate, and club mate. You're Jotaro Kujo, or so that's what they told me your name is."

Suddenly, she pulled him into the tree branches above. While it was immediate and unexpected, Taritsu could only wonder where she had all that strength from. It wouldn't matter soon anyway, since the girl pointed out that another person was nearby. Showing him the blond female that he had seen inside the institute, Taritsu was now certain that she was the stalker he was weary of.

"Look, with you in this unsealed form of power, it'll make you standout. Try to seal it with your energy, now that there's no earthly distractions."

Giving her a questionable stare, Taritsu could only wonder how she knew so much. However, she was right about having cured him of his base urges. With a few moments of focusing his abilities, the boy soon went from Cobalt to the dark black that his alias was recognizable with. "Hey, thanks for your help. But I got somewhere~."

The world felt like it was fading away, and without control of himself, Taritsu felt himself succumb to the effects of his bloody coughing. Needless to say, Amy Raisa would have to explain herself out of the confrontation which his stalker initiated in response to him falling into the bushes below.


	22. Chapter 22

**Arc II**

**Chapter 9**

**Hegemony  
**

* * *

Vejita took a while to find out where the boy was located. While he loved the fresh feeling of the wind in his hair, the cool breeze was rather annoying, especially since it messed with his bangs. Of course, the obvious solution was to wear a hat, but the adult was not very fond of what he looked like with it. Some would call him a nerd for wearing it, especially since it ruined his intimidating look; but then again, he hadn't been on nightly patrols like he had in the past with his father.

'_Man, this blows. Why the hell did father want me to be here, when I could be out there kicking ass._' He remembered his training and what sacrifices he had done to manage this far into catching up with his younger companion. As far as the prodigy went, he naturally had a superior biology compared to himself. Never once did he properly train like he had, and yet by learning a few martial arts, Vejita was completely outclassed.

'_If it were me, I would had train my entire body by now. No doubt he's only that powerful because of the energy that's fueling his system; if that's taken away, then I would suspect a large deficit in ability. Then again... he would be much more dangerous had he been training, but it's not like he's that interested in fighting._'

Seeing a boulder in the the field, Vejita decided to test out his own progress. Focusing his strength to be as accurate as necessary, the flame haired boy applied his might into a punch, effectively crumbling the boulder as he made contact. Apparently unimpressed, he assumed that it was boulder with a weak integrity. '_I can't be much stronger than 2 tonnes of force. Sure, father does manage to go on par with uncle Ricardo, but his strength can't throw cars across the street like him. Well... he did hold down the Mobile while it was set to full throttle, but that's a natural response of adrenaline rush. He's a badass normal at max potential... all of the time._'

Unbeknownst to him, he had compromised Charlotte's privacy with her brother, having been discussing what he had to say. Slowly, she turned her head around, and made eye contact with the older male. What made the fact that she was very much uncomfortable was the fact that Taritsu had basically ripped her shirt off, and in the moments afterwards, made her hair fall out of its styled arrangement. No longer appearing as the pretty boy impersonation she constructed for social interactions, the two did nothing as they processed their thoughts.

"I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T MEAN TO SNEAK UP ON YOU LIKE THAT!"

_Tehehe_

Confused as to how she was reacting, Charlotte had apparently found Vejita- the aloof tactician and epitome of proficiency- comical. There was a time in her life that she would had been afraid of him finding out she was female, but it was safe to assume that he didn't recognize her. No, of course he didn't; not with the jacket of Taritsu on her.

It became apparent to Vejita that she was wearing the winter clothing of his supposed charge, and having pieced together what he could, asked the stranger if she knew anything. "Hey, kid. Have you seen a boy around? He wears glasses and is about my height; well... 173 centimeters actually. Usually he'd have his dark hair combed, but the kid leaves it with a wild look. It's pretty short, usually showing a bit of the unruly hair at his forehead. Not sure if this matters, but he also likes to wear a cap, so you might not have seen the details I just described."

Listening closely to what Vejita was telling her, Charlotte had began to wonder how he was interested in working with them. It seemed that Vejita was more than capable of being an investigator by himself, and no doubt could he hold his own against an enemy; the boulder that he crumbled required at least 5 tonnes of physical force if one were to use their fists, and it was apparent that his training was helping him catch up with Taritsu.

"By the way, where did you get that jacket?"

It was an innocent question, and it was her innocent answer, but Charlotte felt pressured to lie the exact details of how she received Taritsu's jacket. She didn't mean to, but with the alternative of stating that her deceased brother's spirit gave it to her being ridiculous, she took the most mundane explanation. "My boyfriend gave it to me. He saw that I wasn't faring so well in this weather, so he lent it for the time being."

Vejita, having heard that, tried to come up with an explanation to what he had heard. He had never believed that the perpetually stoic boy could manage to gain a girl on his own, especially since he was indifferent to the implications of having one. His knowledge of Taritsu extended even to the fact that the boy hated superficiality, attempting to seek a truth- even unwanted truths- to sate his restless mind. That was something they both shared; Vejita hated arrogance, just as much as Taritsu hated ignorance. It was just a mere annoyance to see how people would manipulate information- simply to gain control over a finite resource.

Finally comfortable with the fact that he wouldn't find out, he decided to ask her name. "Well, if you did see him, please tell me, miss-?"

"Charlotte." She immediately regretted replying. The young Valogna did not want to reveal her identity so soon, nor did she intend to state her actual name. However, Vejita seemed pleased with just the first name. Fortunately, her brother informed her of Taritsu's location, providing the necessary direction to get rid of Vejita. "Oh, and I did remember seeing someone like you described running in that direction."

Taking her advice, Vejita left with a formal departure, leaving Charlotte and Kakarotto to converse once again. "Sis, why did you lie to Vejita like that? Taritsu isn't looking for a spouse, nor are you~"

The look of guilt was enough to show for Charlotte's case. The elder brother had known how much the two had gotten close to one another, and definitely thought that they had a relationship like no other. To think that she believed that he thought of her as family, that he would never want her in the same- or greater- manner as he showed affection to Paula or Stephanie. "It's just that... he's your best friend... and I think he loves me as a sibling."

No longer able to tolerate her distress, Kakarotto explained what he knew. "_Sharu_, if this is about his treating you like a child, it's because he definitely cares. Has he actually asked anyone for a proper date?"

With hot streaks flowing on her cheeks, Charlotte voiced her earlier observation which she had tried to rationalized since she first witnessed them. "He... He's seeing s-someone else." She then returned to crying softly, feeling a bit better with his jacket enveloping her. All of her life, she had never thought anyone else could have this effect on her, reassuring that she was safe by staying in his proximity. Of course, there were times she was startled by his transformed behavior, but he did all within his power to control himself. "I just don't know what will happen..."

Mind made up, Kakarotto assured his sister that there was nothing to worry about. In fact, she wouldn't have to do anything to get his attention; it was going to happen.

* * *

"So... mind telling me what you two were doing up there?"

Amy had never been trained for an encounter such as this. Since she was told by her idol to take care of Rutabaski, the girl had prepared for many situations, which included the fact that she had pills to counteract the effects of his kind in heat. Then again, she was trained to be his personal bodyguard, at least for the time being until he was capable. It was her sworn duty to follow the boy's wishes, and if it meant hurting others to protect him, so be it.

"Shouldn't I be asking why you- a student- is out here in the restricted area?"

It was a known fact that no student was allowed to step out of the five kilometer radius of the institute, with certain individuals being exempt. This included Taritsu, and fortunately Amy, as she held a forged ID that categorized her as a faculty's aide.

At the sight of this, the girl sighed and realized that she had no other choice. "Look, I don't know what you have in mind, but this partner of yours... he's sketchy." She had personally been recording all sightings of Taritsu while he was in school. It wasn't rather dangerous, but the girl was interested because of his inconsistency. She remembered seeing him in the halls with a perpetual mask of indifference, scowling at who ever tried to ask him if he'd like to join, and had always been a bit flirty with females. Well, the truth of the matter was that she mistaken Charlotte's disguise for a tomboy- ironically guessing her gender- and had noticed that he would leave the institute in his own personal vehicle.

"The last time he was with a female, he drugged her- just after taking her for a ride in his submarine." The only witnesses who would had seen him taking advantage of the girl she recognized as Euphemia Yukinoshita were the children, and she followed the two into her dorm room. Needless to say, she had witnessed how he wanted to take advantage of the nonconscious female, and even took photo evidence of what she saw.

"Are you certain about that? You see, Kujo over here is a life scientist, and that submarine ride was simply a quick introduction of what he was doing as a project. Yukinoshita most likely asked him for some references, and was interested in knowing how he spends his days." Amy shot back, noticing the two in the photos which the stalker provided. "Anyway, what he is doing doesn't pertain to you. So tell me: Who are you?"

Huffing, the girl flipped her locks and gave Amy a cold stare. "Cecilia Pawlitzki- and I would appreciate it if you turn this boy in." She boldly stated that, in hopes that she could find out more about the boy who reminded her so much of a certain speedster in the past. Unlike the other children who were subject to forget about the event, Cecilia was the only one fortunate enough to had filtered her breathing enough to stay conscious, allowing her to witness the battle. If anything, her reason in stalking the boy was because he looked so similar to the appearance of the cobalt haired Taritsu.

Seeing her reasoning was coming from a logical perspective, Amy found herself digging more and more into a ditch, leaving her with no options left but to fight her. Just as she was determined to do so, Taritsu stirred from his brief blackout, and struggled to lift himself up.

KWAH KWAH

He coughed up a few more ounces of blood, and having his mind disoriented, Cecilia took this as another reason to report the boy. Had it not been for Amy's quick thinking, they would have had to explain to some unwanted authority sticking their nose in the top secret mission she needed to complete.

"He fell from the tree, counting the number of cocoons it harbored, and then fell off due to his carelessness." She supported him on his side, doing the best she could to drag him off the floor and pick him up, whilst also slipping the vial of pills that he would come to need. Yet, because she was 5'5 and Taritsu was 5'8, Cecilia would not believe that she would manage on her own. So she offered to aid her in taking him to the ward.

"Oh, that wouldn't be necessary, really."

Having a quizzical look in regards to how reserved the girl was being, Cecilia had not realized that Amy had noticed the associate of her charge looking around for said boy. Waving over with an explosive amount of liveliness, Cecilia was left with the responsibility of holding the boy who she painted ill of as he began to register what was happening.

'_With girls constantly being protective of him, w__hat kind of person is he?_'

That train of thought was immediately disregarded as Vejita took over and carried the boy away.

* * *

"There you are."

Now that the four males were in the room, Anthony had some good news as to his latest breakthroughs. It had taken a bit of meddling with Henry, but the structure was there, and it definitely had a plausibility of occurring- 73% in fact. "Thanks to some time spent brainstorming, we were able to come out with this outline based on my brother."

He showed them a list that only held five ideas, all which Vejita found a bit redundant in the fact that it had to do with machinery. Of course, seeing as Sparks owned a company that manufactured information technologies, invented weapons, and distributed new software each day, Vejita couldn't argue much with Anthony's reasoning.

"As you can see here, we've isolated the possibilities to these, two of which is an idea that caters to the president."

"Of what nation?" The general's son couldn't help but ridicule his vague reference to the Sagratian leader.

Casting a glare that rivaled Vejita's piercing intimidating pride, the two briefly placed the topic at hand to a halt. Likewise, it was the moment that Taritsu awoke during their small contest that was quite amusing to Henry. Feeling that he was somehow in danger and not recognizing anyone at first, he tried walking out of the room, listening to the words of his inhabitant.

"_Look. If you want to know, that voice was present when you were first released of your bracers. It'll use your pheromone affinity state to its advantage, so we need to keep you safe and away from it's influence~._" He fell immediately, not establishing proper support for his weight.

"Dude, are you alright?"

"Henry?" Taking a look around the room, he also saw that Vejita and Anthony had broken off their prideful contest out of concern for their crucial member. His inhabitant was informing him of taking care of himself, but he had other things to worry about. '_I'll talk with you later._' "Where's Kakarotto?"

"Still looking out there for you." Anthony voiced the fact, making Taritsu express concern. "By the way, did you happen to lose your jacket somewhere?"

"Left it with him~"

"His girlfriend apparently has it."

That settled everyone in the room to a halt. With all eyes on him, Taritsu felt gravely uncomfortable with them thinking of the suggestive answer he provided, modified by Vejita's input. There was that unsettling miasma that generated from the Blakes and Pioneeri heirs, not knowing the truth of the matter behind the sentence. Only Anthony knew the truth, and it took only Vejita's sentence to confirm his guess on their fifth member's gender.

That being said, Taritsu was bombarded by accusations from both older males.

"Maurice is gay?"

"Do you realize what your mom would say on the matter?"

"What's it like?"

A swift knock to their heads brought the two to recognized that they were getting out of line, and with Anthony providing quick guidance as to where the inquisitioned teen had gone, they watched as he took a marker and made his own theory on the situation. Subtly working in silence, they could see that he was indeed hurt by their assumptions. However, that didn't seem to ruin his thought process.

While Anthony (and Henry) had five possibilities, Taritsu had one answer, which he had detailed to the fullest of his own references and knowledge of the Sparks family. One could see the jaw drop from Anthony as he had every possible variable thought out in mere moments, and with no objections on their part, he began to educate the rest of his team on his conclusion.

"Considering the contract policies pertaining to Sparks and my family, it would appear that the brothers share values, but not attitudes. This in mind, it is likely that Anthony's brother will avoid creating technology that directly promotes conflict, and with the convention being about a world changing technology, I would assume it has to do with the Grand challenges of Engineering. Seeing as Sparks pertains in technologies- and with our current world progress on technology- it would have to be anything that enhances all sectors by a universal application. What better more than improvements in energy distribution."

'_He accounted for everything with just that as a reference? Brother did say he was smarter than he would appear, but I never imagine him able to get that specified an answer._' "That all sounds fine and dandy," Anthony began. It was a pleasure to see that he was still capable of performing higher intelligences, even when in distress. "But what of the contingencies we have to make? Who are we going to prepare for?"

That being said, Taritsu told them one of his oldest secrets since he was a preteen.

* * *

"The Tsufuru-jins do not fail at scientific discovery!"

The hollering came from none other than the Scientist Supreme's right-hand-man and life partner, Arlo Johnstonii, who- after four years of observance- had yet to yield results. Four years, and all they could come up with in regards to results in genetically isolating the DNA was a mere gene for limb digits!

'_That boy has a double helix and all they can give me is something that mundane! How is it even possible?_'

"I'm sorry, but the process is far more delicate with the samples you provided. It seems to work, but after careful study... well, take a look for yourself."

Through the window screen, the scientists all observed the testing room as one of the lower caste members of their society was instructed to plant the seeds for a viewing, then notified to release the thirty subjects of green, humanoid creatures with red eyes and veiny foreheads. As such, the servant raced out as soon as he did what was necessary and watched from the safety area, awaiting any order's his superior had next.

Soon after, the ground began to crumble, and in the second it took to blink, a completely grown adult of the species emerged from the state of a seed. At this, the scientists ran statistical data, showing that it indeed had the quantitative data of that of a fully grown version of the natural species. However, it was far more volatile, due to its quick growth and lack of imprint. "The Power Level that it possesses is enormous, Johnstonii."

The sight before them was gruesome, as the modified specimen was immediate in enacting a dominant role. With little regards to its brethren, it began ripping them apart, unfazed by their acidic bodily fluids. The collective intelligence of the group was no match to the likes of the superior specimen, and as their numbers diminished rapidly, the final creature decided to take it out in a suicide attack.

"Why is it glowing?"

"Ah, that's the Cultivar's defense mechanism. They live in hives, and seeing as it had recognized the modified Cultivar as a threat, took the initiative to self-destruct, for the hive of course."

However, the end result was revealed as the dust settled, and the Cultivar standing was the genetically superior one. Seeing this, they immediately recorded the results once more, further adding to their archives of the sample's genetic improvements on a variety of organisms they tested.

"That seems nothing special, Ernest." Johnstonii started once more. "For what you had been doing over the years, your interest in the species alludes me. Why did you initially present such a specimen as delicate as a Wisp?"

Ernest Hericium, a rather meek man who had been enthralled by the species when they discovered it hidden in the Nichyese jungles, had always reminded Johnstonii of the mentally vulnerable. His composure was the only thing keeping him from socially being an Alpha, but the application of intellect that he had was quite superior, and no doubt that of an Alpha double plus. Of course, that wasn't saying anything, seeing as their society as a whole had the cumulative intelligence that marked them as a 7th level intellect on average, but it was frightening to think that Ernest was more capable than him- if his interests were vast.

"Cultivars have this sort of society that mimic surrounding species, based on their environments. No other species has had such an intellect, especially since these seem to have already been genetically engineered by the native sapient species on the planet." He said with a bit of gusto, further reinforcing Johnstonii's thinking of how in the world did he gain the favor of the counsel.

"Well I think the scientific analysis you've been up to is but mere trash!" Johnstonii sneered, causing the others to turn around and watch the scene. It took a lot to make him mad, and it seem lately that his fuse was being lit by the fact that they couldn't decode a simple sample of dna. "We've perfected our study of genetics in our world, and the Coluan's world. We've archived that of the Yuatjas- a task that is hellish in its own right- Chitauri, and that of the Chiss. And yet, for some infantile reason, we can not decode the DNA of a SIMPLE, SIMIAN BRAT, who- for reasons unbeknownst to me- is the genetic apex of their species. Their species has a devolved child of man as the epitome of genetic perfection!"

As he said that, the computers indicated that something was happening to the modified Cultivar. Knowing this, the servant did what he could to aid his superiors in detaining the creature in a portable containment room, only to get caught in the blast of the bio-bomb. With acids melting away at his flesh, the servant cried in pain of his muscles, bones, and ligaments eroding away, whilst the sympathetic group of his employers tried to salvage his life. However, that seemed to have been inevitable, as indicated by the more... apathetic group of scientists who had been overseeing these tests.

"What happened? Why did it explode all of a sudden?"

"T-that's the issue with the genetic sample you've given us. It appears the energy which the modified organism accumulates begins to overwhelm it, thus the explosion. So long as they release the energy, nothing is wrong. That's why it's more savage than usual."

At that very moment, a quick jab at his nose brought him staggering backwards, resulting in Johnstonii to bleed, and the security guards to apprehend the instigator. "Utterly disrespectful, Arlo. My friend dies and all that matters to you is results? Our population hasn't been rising since we've first taken refuge, and yet you still sacrifice lives!"

"Do not blame him, Clavatus. Arlo has simply been concerned of our neighbor's. We haven't been able to properly made treaties yet, and it seems they do not take kindly to members of different species cohabiting with them."

"Elaborate."

Seeing this as his cue, Arlo fixed himself up before explaining what his knowledge of the natives behavior was like. "It seems that they are hostile. As according to what I discovered, they dislike change, especially the superpowers of the western hemisphere. I had agents posted in each of their continents, extracting all the information they could on these '_Eudorans_' as they call themselves, but they have no uniform structure of society. Also, it seems we are genetically similar to their four subspecies on the _Homo Sapien_ species: Sapien Sapien, Sapien Idaltu, Sapien Sanguine, and Sapien Luminous. Our brethren, as it seems, has a degenerative form of thinking, having an unhealthy level of selfishness from detesting the fact that the other subspecies are a threat, even though it appears that most of them are minorities."

"There is no hope in collaborating with them?!"

Arlo smiled inwardly as he found Ernest voicing his concern now. It was the perfect opportunity to insult him for his optimism of other species, especially since the man was a mere child when he first was exposed to the Coluan hostility. "_H. Sapien Sapien_ appears to dominate the world of Eudora, with a greater concentration taking place in continents Grunde Schützen, Europa, Flayen, Pyrastrene, and the savage Sagratia. The latter two are in a race of dominance, with Sagratia is the worse of the two, seeing as they place an emphasis on profits and the pursuit of pleasure to subtly numb their population into behaving as drones. Of course, seeing as these superpowers are irratic and quick to respond to any threats in regards to their position of superiority, we would be purged if they learn of our existence."

Yet another Tsufuru-jin voiced his experience to the Scientist Supreme's life partner. "My time in those continents weren't so bad. Of course, it does seem that Sagratia is a bit Laissez-faire with government involvement in their economics, but the people seemed nice. In fact, my brother Nathan had collaborated with one of them, creating a company called "Googol". What could be so wrong being involved with them?"

This was the point that made Arlo bang his fist on the table next to him. He could not tolerate Pipto's contrast to his argument. What he had to do... was paint the species as unworthy of their allegiance. '_What better way, than to educate them of their history?_' "Men of science and culture. That is what we've come to value, but it seems that while the Eudorans have both aspects, they still have members who depreciate progress. Have you seen what blasphemy they have of a social communication website of file-sharing? This "VidCast" has a vast amount of visitors with each passing day, and all they seem to have an interest in is videos of felines and celebrities. The potential that they wield, it- goes to waste!"

"What about the countries of the Grundeans, Kairnese, Boruvians, and Serbians? They seem to harbor an interest in adopting ideologies like our own. The Grundeans have shown projects on space exploration, and the Serbians have been working on improving medical sciences. Of course, it seems the Boruvians and Kairnese have an alliance, but their sciences are far more developed than that of the other continents. Artificial intelligences, Johnstonii; they wish to discover the secrets of the mind in Kairne."

"Boruvia does not seem to hold well on its own as a scientific resource, but the culture it harbors is indeed something I would rather enjoy, minus the history of intense warfare and the.." *shudders visibly* "...Otaku Cultures and Reclusion Phenomenon they termed: _Hikikomori_."

They all shuddered at the thought of progress being cut off due to social isolation. In Tsufuru-jin society, if one was not participating in society, then they would cast them out the rest of the population. Their reason: it started a trend that essentially asphyxiated the social structure of a colony, leading to an intense form of Colony Collapse Disorder.

"Best we return to the issue at hand before the thought of CCD causes unnecessary panic." Said another of the wiser individuals, to who they all agreed unanimously with.

Clearing his throat, Arlo revealed that the cause of the _H. Sapien Sapien's_ fears were because of one ethnicity that they could not match up against. "It appears that Kairne and Boruvia has made a symbiotic relationship between cultures. However, it is far more sinister, and intense than any symbiosis in nature." He walked around the room, noting all the scientists as their attention was necessary for emphasis. Finally finding one for his example, he grabbed the young man and forced him to see a photo on the desk that showed a snapshot of his greatest nemesis- courtesy of his lapdog, Adrian, of course. '_That little fool thought that escaping the colony was without consequence. You will never escape for what treason Janis Lichen of the __proletariats had participated in by stealing a test subject._'

"This! This is our enemy, the common enemy that the Eudoran Sapiens- AKA: Sapien Sapiens- have been fighting against in fear of being annihilated by. What you see before you is not a child, but a monster in humanoid form. It is his genetics that we must decode, for there are more like his kind out there. Find me an individual who has similar attributes, attributes that are an amalgamation of the four subspecies, so that we can begin testing on a suitable subject. It needs to be one that is pure, with DNA that is not altered like that of the Pyrastrenean clone, and we'll also need a power source, capable of coaxing the genetic structure to a stable state."

Then, taking a rather confident approach in gaining Ernest's support, Johnstonii cautiously asked if he could provide anymore of the modified Cultivars.

* * *

Seeing as they had planned in advance what their positions would be like for the unveiling, SEGA's team of youngsters had anticipated for a break-in steal. As simple as it seemed idiotic, Rutabaski and Sparks had incorporated the possibility of it being a distraction for someone's more elaborate plan. Such was the fact that the team was split into groups, especially since it appeared that Kakarotto's father had attended as well.

"And you'll be okay with your position in the audience?"

Charlotte eyed the speaker with a modest smile, relishing the fact that he was as considerate as her brother had told her. Though he did seem to have an aversion to being touched by a female- the fact being revealed the other night when he snapped at the touch of a girl. Granted, she was being too much of a touchy-feely, voicing her attraction to him out in the open and much to his displeasure, that it made him call her a slut for the confrontation.

That apparently did little to make her keep away from him, and took the warning insult as a form of affection, which confused Charlotte and the others by the unwarranted results. It also made the boy aware of jealous males for his success, wanting to have their own girl who would try to chase them. Needless to say, Taritsu ignored her advances and their jealously, until the day of the convention.

"Of course I will. With father nearby, and your parents in the audience as well, I'm well defended on my part. Vejita and Henry would be positioned on the roofs nearby, working as aerial scouts, so there isn't much to worry about on your part either. Of course, there's Anthony being behind the curtains, but he can handle it with the aid of Spark's security." She informed rather enthusiastically, and a bit too close for Taritsu's comfort.

Noting this, she wondered how he was faring with Stephanie. Certainly his distaste for being touched by a female was merely because he felt uncomfortable with girls who did the advancing. "_Eto_, Tari... what kind of girls do you like?"

'_That's out of the blue. Wait. Could she...?_' Knowing that telling her that she had no chance at all because a) he did not want to make her bound to marrying him, and b) did not want to violate her due to his primal urges, Taritsu recalled the lessons he read in Xetsu's journal. The man had bonded with Kara- an act that was akin to marriage in his own culture- but also devoted himself to caring for Rosalina. Both of the women were important in his life, and while he wanted dearly to reunite with his wife, Xetsu stood alongside Rosalina- despite his wishes. "My type?... I really don't know."

Strategically scratching the back of his head to appear honest, the boy chuckled nervously to emphasize his unawareness of attraction. True, he could say that he liked Euphemia, but the truth behind that was he saw her as a close childhood friend. After all, she was the first person he was able to talk about his inner thoughts with and not hate him. "I guess I kinda like the motherly types: the down-to-earth kind of person who will keep me bound from my mania. Actually, think of it this way. I am a Man of Science, cold and calculative, even though I try my hardest to help others. My partner, who could have any kind of mindset, should be someone who can complement but also keep me in check; a Woman of Nature, who nurtures her family and is compassionate with her partner, if you will."

As he finished up on the description, the boy opened his eyes once after having closed them to concentrate on the topic alone. Normally he would had answered things like that without closing his eyes, seeing as his hyper-processing mind was powerful enough to calculate many variables and keep thoughts in line- despite distracting stimuli showing up around him. It was a rare occurrence, but they both happened to gaze into each others eyes at the moment he opened his, and being uncomfortable with his own primal thoughts of bedding her, tried his best to avert her doe eyes.

'_I made a promise to mother and- by extension- uncle. I can not simply coerce her, sating my own urges because I feel this damn itch in the back of my mind. No... I can not simply ask a female for such a favor either; it would be unethical, and degrading._' He checked his pockets for the pills he remembered finding after his black out and mentally thanked Amy for her resources. Whatever the pill was doing, it effectively numbed his senses from over reacting from female pheromones, which was something he wished to detail in scientific analysis. Lately he had discovered that part of the reasons Anthony was originally uncomfortable with his mania was the lack of sensitivity while talking about tailed beings. In Kairne, he had no problems talking about it in the open though.

"I-I better get going now. I'm patrolling the streets, and it does take a while for you to get used to the dimmed lit room. Take care, _Sharu_." He said just as she had decided to inch closer, hoping to get him to enact in intimacy. No, she didn't want to push at the need that one would feel when swapping saliva, though it did harbor several benefits. Actually, she realized that such thinking was embarrassing, but also surprising as it wasn't really something she'd normally fancy. One moment, she was listening intently at his description of an ideal mate, hoping that she could use that as a guideline, but now found herself compelled for unwarranted intimacy. When did her mind register such a motive?

_"You two are bound to be a match. Give it time, sis."_

The words echoed in her mind as she walked down the aisles and quickly located the seats where her and her father were assigned. For some strange reason, she found him talking to a politician in a business suit, which was not his most favorable past time whenever she was around. In fact, it seemed her father was rather at ease talking to the man, which completely contrasted her knowledge of opting to keep an eye on his precious daughter.

_"If need be... I can take over if you'd like."_

The temptation was rather unnerving. Her brother, who she had never actually felt or seen in a corporeal body, who she had to live under the shadow of his identity to satisfy her father's anxiety. Kakarotto Valogna was an identity who she associated as the best friend of the boy she loved, and she recognized that he had only taken care of her initially because he thought she was he.

_"It can be easy... to just trick him into being ours."_

Immediately she recognized the subtle venom that her brother's voice was hiding, came not from a male's voice- but a female's! It was present in her childhood, it was present in her nightmares; it even tormented her thoughts, further coaxing the negatives into extreme absolutes that seemed inevitable. However, the image of her brother was the only thing that made her feel secure.

"Kakarotto, is there anything wrong?"

Her father's voice brought her out of her daze, removing the blighted thinking and shedding light into her paranoia. That was another fear from the past: darkness. "I-I'm fine, _Père_." She lied. There was an inconsistency she was noticing, and it seemed her brother's spaced appearances were correlated. "Why were you speaking to that man?"

Caught red-handed, Baddack finally found himself without a convenient excuse. He could say that Jack was his distant cousin, but that would then arouse more suspicion of their secrets, and definitely unravel everything that he worked for. What he needed to do, was not lie to his daughter, but misdirect her. '_Just a while longer until she's of age. I would have liked to have found a mystic by now to complete the procedure, but it seems they are too difficult to find nowadays._' He cursed the fact that his wife had died, and even more so that they had to resort to such unorthodoxed means to save his daughter.

"Err, Kakarotto, correct?"

Jack presented himself out of the blue, making Baddack internally facepalm at his lack of pragmatism. The struggle to contain his rage at the younger male for increasing the chances of the dangers was eating at Baddack, but he remembered what his comrade had told him earlier. Euphemia was developing just like her mother, so they might not need to search for a mystic so soon. '_Just as long as she can handle herself, there is nothing to fear._'

"I'm Jack Chandler, chairman of the Boruvian Diet. You may have recognized me about four years ago, as that man who came to rescue the children." His sensitivity was testing Baddack's patience, especially since he didn't want to remind his daughter of her kidnapping, nor traumatic events of seeing Taritsu being tortured. However, Charlotte seemed to accept his answer.

"The father of Stephanie Chandler, yes?"

Nodding at her perfect guess, Jack placed Baddack at ease. It would certainly help to get the girl to comply later if she familiarized herself now than later.

* * *

"Anything suspicious on your side, Henry?"

"No, not yet."

The two had been communicating via Vejita's sat-com, provided by his father's resources of course. The deal there was that Vejita would promise to take Taritsu over to Gouken as soon as their mission was over, and seeing as they were technically in the holiday break, it would be much of a hassle. However, it made him wonder what exactly was the deal with his father being a bit paranoid about the boy. '_Does it have to do with his subtle loss of speed and power? He most likely doesn't realize what's wrong with him, and no doctor is able to determine what his exact biology is like to diagnose anything on our half of the world._'

The familiar streak of blue whizzing around in the streets indicated that Taritsu was still strong and healthy, but the adult knew better. Sooner or later, Taritsu would recognize his abilities were diminishing, and if he didn't get himself checked soon, then it would prove to be a disaster. "Alright, I'll contact Anthony to see if anything is going down in his sector."

Just as he said that, they found Taritsu halting in front of a busy intersection. It seemed unrealistic for him to have done so, especially since all the cars were trying to make their way through, but he had noticed something was up. Honks were blaring at his idle state, which seemed to stem from the fact that there was an inconsistency with the ground beneath him.

"Move out of the road, jackass!"

Even though they were throwing insults at him, Taritsu seemed to ignore it all, opting to track down the underground activity beneath them as he felt the activity of a certain unknown. It didn't feel like a drill, nor any mechanical technology based on the progress that the activity was making underneath. In fact, it seemed very logical that it was a specimen that dug through the ground beneath; a frightening thought for the common man, but a deal of great news at the chance of discovering a new species.

"Something's up with Taritsu's end. He discovered something, but I can't really tell." Henry stated the obvious to Anthony. Once he received the news, the younger Sparks prodigy got to work with his brother's software butler, checking on the subway stations.

"Nothing underground. Switching to seismic activity."

They were in for a wild encounter, because as soon as he switched to the different mode on Kurzgesagt, the entirety of the cities electric grid went offline. As expected, this left traffic to crawl to a halt, with several accidents making their team member distracted as he went on to keep the damage minimal. Whoever was behind the power loss did not research the Spark's tower specifications as the convention was mildly affected by the grid. In fact, they didn't have to manually switch onto reserve power.

But the damage and intent was clear. The people behind that occurrence were trying to bust in stealthily... or at least cause widespread panic.

"Be careful now." Taritsu told the family of the minivan as he set them back safely on the ground. They had recently gotten out of the hospital since the birth of their newborn and were quite thankful for his interference, even though they had no clue who he was. He particularly found the reward in aiding them, and despite the father wanting to give him monetary rewards, declined since he was reminded of his own family.

'_It sure has been a long time since mom and dad had actually taken me somewhere. I better go check on them after I finish up here._'

Feeling a weird sensation across the streets, Taritsu immediately left the family as the red eyed, green humanoids made their existence known. Normally, these would pop up from the ground to gang up on a prey, but being modified with the DNA of the boy, the Tsufuru-jins had made sure to place data chips to remotely monitor and suggest actions to bypass their meltdown. "What the heck is that!?"

It was nowhere in books or archives that he had read, nor anything that his grandfather had known about. In fact, the discovery of these creatures was so fascinating that Taritsu just had to study them. '_Man, if I can capture one, I'd probably gain the trust of Sagratia's scientific community._' It was rumored that the nation had harbored the truth about cryptids, and being able to know for sure that they did or didn't exist was one of the goals he wanted to do before having to worry about adult life.

Unfortunately for him, it seemed that the reason these creatures had surfaced was to seek methods to expel energy, and seeing as they began destroying everything in sight, the boy had to act quickly to keep innocent civilians from being their next target.

Taking most of the trapped civilians from their cars, he noted as the humanoids took car batteries, then tested if it was what their masters needed before disposing of it. These actions angered the civilians, making them attack the creatures in retaliation, and throw one off into the car engines in defense.

That was their first mistake.

"Hey, look out-!" Know he had to save them before being splashed by the creature's hidden ability, said individual was whisked away by the boy as the acids happened to catch a an unfortunate dog. Seeing the act before their eyes, the rest of the civilians started to panic, just as the creature's brethren had tasted the chemistry mixture- determining the animal as a food source.

'_The acids that it had was sufficient enough to melt cement! Poor little dog; I'll make sure to handle this before anything else happens to go wrong._' "Anthony, I have issues on my end. Some sort of humanoid species has surfaced, capable of killing things by projecting acids. They're after an energy source for some reason. Get everyone under control and put the building on lock down."

Radio static interfered with his call, and trying his best to contact the others, Taritsu found himself surrounded by the creatures himself. They seemed rather enthralled by his gadget, but even worse, tried to pry it away. Kicking the creature away resulted in it falling apart with organs sprawled around. Immediately, he saw as there was an acid sac, which was only reacting as it spilled onto the cement, allowing Taritsu the information he needed on them.

In the corner of his eye, he saw as a pair of buffoons were trying to ram the creatures over, prompting them to shoot their acids as the car neared.

'_Idiots._' Placing them down safely after saving them from their certain doom, he retried contacting the others. "V-Vejita. I-I'm overwhelmed here. These things are difficult to contain, and I-!" Seeing him broadcast a message, it released the acids from their glands atop their head, aiming for his device.

Frantically, he threw the sat-com off of his wrist, and checked for any harm or injuries that it was doing to his own arm. Searing pain seemed to come from his shoulder, and he noticed that one of them had managed to sneak up on him, successfully digging into his flesh with its claws.

"GET OFF ME!"

Grabbing it from behind him, the boy threw the creature before it could take any of his valued blood. Frightened for once with the encounter of fauna, Taritsu had little knowledge of what to do in this sort of situation. So he did what was logical for a superpowered kid wanting to survive.

Crush them with abandoned cars.

'_I can't do anything to stop them safely._' His mind racing, he had already determined that these creatures were too dangerous to keep alive. However, seeing a few of them scampering away, he noticed how they were scratching atop of their skulls. Even weirder still, one of them successfully managed to extract its brain chips, just as a bucket of ammonia splashed on it from the carelessness of a window cleaner. _'It couldn't really be the answer..._'

* * *

Since the building had loss power recently, Alberto contacted his two partners to get the suit ready.

"What are you guys up to?"

Noticing Anthony's judgmental tendency for their clandestine actions, Vincent and Luke tried to ignore their leader's younger brother and get the secret power suit ready in care of an infiltration. Since Anthony had notified them of being here to scout for trouble, Vincent decided to utilize that fact to bypass the kid.

"Power grids have blacked out. We're going to manually close down the building, just in case."

His logic was sound, but Anthony had concern for what that would mean. First off, it would cut them off from the other team mates, and second would be the fact that they would also likely be stuck with the enemy already inside. '_Not to mention the reserve power will be drained from mass shut down._' "There's a problem with that."

The speech that his brother was making was close to the point of the reveal, and as he neared that point, Anthony noticed how the generals and Sagratia's president was being a bit informal, with said leader talking on his phone while being kept from the majority's view. '_I'd have to keep an eye on them, just in case._' "We could make a scandal if they find out. We are on live television, you know."

"The Arc Reactor!"

Said device was brought into the audience's view, showing them a smaller version of the generator that they had generating power into the building. It was this device that his brother had opted to unveil at his convention, and not any other invention that he created. Certainly, their father's hover tech that he had been improving would had been much more interesting, but as Taritsu had warned, an energy source type device would had been something much more valuable in the eyes of the world... as well as the enemy. '_Crapbaskets._'

Letting the two men go, Anthony signaled his remaining team mate, who was fortunate enough to have been near the Rutabaski father. In the dimmed room, he was able to notice a figure closing in, and unlike what the security was doing, this individual was quickly dispatching them before they could sound the alarm. It was in that moment that the room's double doors swung open, and revealed what was an eight foot silver titanium-clad samurai, accompanied by foot soldier that seemed reminiscent of ninjas.

With the sound being the main reason the audience turned, Anthony was able to see that several of the world leaders did react in the expected fashion, except for the Sagratian president. '_What the hell is he doing on his cellular right now?_'

"Stay in your seats, I am not here to harm you." Began the samurai. His footmen, though, were battle ready and very alert of someone trying to move about. Having been rummaging around the area, they knew that a third party had began acting on their accord, and wanted dearly to take the technology that Sparks was showing off. "I'm merely here for protecting the reactor myself."

"You just want it for yourself!" retorted someone in the audience, rather haughty that it further placed them all at a disadvantage.

Placing his sword in front of his men, Kojiro Sawasaki reminded them that the people of industry knew not of the dangers they were allowing with this sort of display and weak security. '_What Coolidge told me was that we're likely near a third World War. If that is true, then it may in fact be a method to redeem my family's honor, and unite the people together as one species._'

"No, not at all. I have an army occupying the building, ensuring that it doesn't get stolen by thieves."

"With one phone call, the Marines will be here in a minute." Blatantly reminded another chauvinist. It really irked Anthony to hear them increase the consequences with their provoking words of condescension. He did notice that the president was being glanced at nervously by his accompanying generals, but the audience was kept from checking on him due to his brother's reply.

"Calm down everyone. We're not here because of conquests, nor do we want to cause any acts of war." Alberto calmly stepped down from the stage, awaiting for his comrades to return with the X9500 suit. The audience was very anxious, due to the fact that the Samurai's blade was drawn and at his convenience. One slash and any man would be slaughtered, regardless of being armored or not. But Alberto was confident in his new power suit. "In fact, why don't we change locations and bring this outside."

"I'm afraid you can't." Kojiro solemnly replied.

Silent was the room as they heard the answer. Cameras filming live, they were able to broadcast the situation internationally. But one thought was persisting in Kojiro's mind; two actually, but the latter thought as he found a familiar face in the audience was making him think twice of what Coolidge had told him. Nevertheless, it wasn't supposed to frighten him so much. What he needed to do was keep the Sagratian military from having that Arc Reactor, lest they create a machine that could destroy them all.

"Reports are positive, Shogun. The streets are indeed infested."

Gritting his teeth as the audience was riled up, Kojiro reminded himself that mass panic would get them no where. '_It had to be Cultivars that these bastards are utilizing. Damn scientists from the Regression War period had to mess around with biotechnology._' "Calm down. So long as you stay where you are, and we're here, there's nothing to worry about."

"Yeah right. That's just part of an elaborate plan to use us as hostages." Cried out another voice.

As he struggled to contain his anger, he eyed his young cousin, who had married a westerner. She had been the daughter and princess of Boruvia since birth, but it seems since their grandfather had been overthrown from power, the title just became something of an honorary term. That, or it was true what the conversation between the Kairnese and Boruvian leaders was about maintaining the peace between the other ethnicities. '_What I wouldn't do to make these boisterous mongrels shut up._'

Yanagi busily created a plan to escape from the rest of the audience, having figured out what the newcomers were doing. She needed to be in a location where she'd have the advantage, and it didn't help that the Sagratians had their men already positioned. For a highly involved economic nation, they sure did place emphasis on military power. Suddenly she noticed how the Sagratian president was busy talking to someone.

"_Sedrick._"

His eyebrows raised at the sound of her whispering tone. It wasn't like him to be so unnaturally out of it, as if he were thinking of someone else. Did he secretly fantasize during this grave situation? Hopefully not, because Yanagi was not one to appreciate his lack of involvement, especially since her success came from his attentive cooperation.

"_Yeah, Yana? I've noticed the man too. It was irking me seeing him ignore the disclaimer about phone use, but I'm more worried about our boy._"

They were probably in the midst of a planned massacre for all he knew and he thought about their son! He was safe at the institute... at least, that was what Yanagi knew. Then she noticed that Charlotte was in the audience a few rows back, and quickly scanned the area to see both Sparks brothers on stage, with Anthony being obscured from the majority but he was present.

"_Don't tell me. He's also here, where it is dangerous?_"

"_Fine, I won't talk about it, gosh._" His form of lightening up the mood was adorkable, and Yanagi would had fell for it had it been used in another situation. This was about life and death, and she didn't want her precious little boy to get involved with another situation like all the other times.

'_I swear, this family is full of adrenaline junkies and death seekers._'

"_By the way, I was meaning to talk to Maurice about his future spouse, but it seems my mother has found out he's dating some older girl-._"

"_We'll talk about this after, Sedrick._" She said in irritation, especially since the condition was to keep Sedrick from not knowing about their son being taught by Clarinda.

Without warning, the windows came crashing, and with it dropped a couple of stout green humanoids that had managed to sneak up on Vejita and Henry. The duo had tried to keep them from reaching the top floor, but it was apparent that their numbers were increasing exponentially and without pause. In fact, not only were their numbers overwhelming, but also their physical capabilities.

"You better not let go, Blakes."

With his mind focused on maintaining the cohesion between his finger tips and the ceiling surface, Henry reminded the older male that he needed to get them away from the civilians.

"I know that. Their impervious to any of my attacks, not to mention the weapons I have on me."

Seeing the two up top, the audience became hysterical, and now given the chance to escape, Yanagi took her husband by the hand to a more secure area. '_Baddack should have the same idea as well. I'd hate to see him lose his daughter in something like this, especially since she is a walking reminder of Marguerite._'

"Secure a quarantine men. Let not one of these Cultivars harm an innocent." Commanded the domineering samurai.

Complying as necessary, the foot soldiers surrounded said creatures, ensuring that they were unable to bypass them into the audience. Unfortunately, they had no idea of what modifications these creatures had, especially since Kojiro could not recognize their erratic behavior and sudden interest in the Arc Reactor on stage. For all he knew, they could had been programmed for the same purpose as he, but as he was subtly reminded by his intel, these creatures were incredibly dangerous if provoked.

All that they had to fight against it was an army of ninjas, the security team, and the two children above- who were struggling to get back up on safe ground.

* * *

100 miles away, in a highly secured military base, the respondents to the president's call were having a hard time to decide on the call to action.

"He said that the scientists have sent another terrorist this time. Some sort of samurai they call Shogun."

Scoffing, the others were having a hard time to recognize that as a threat, but as soon as they heard that the terrorist was protecting them from some sort of monster horde, they had second thoughts.

"Send six Terminators."

"T-70s are primitive, and their not suitable for this job! If anything, they'd need programming, but that'll take longer than the time we have for a response."

"So!? We'll just send one of the newer models along with the squad of T-70s."

The scientist was contemplating on what he was suggesting. T-70s were indeed a primitive model, humanoid and capable of working with mixed squads, thanks to their ability to copy instructions remotely. But what his superior was suggesting... was something immensely grave. T-101s were not something he wanted to issue out, especially since they were still working out the bugs.

"You're worrying too much, Hendrickson. Think of it as a duty to the people. You are not sending those drones, the government is; you aren't responsible for what they do, because the government takes responsibility. They are nothing more but _our_ soldiers."

He wanted to retort on his statement, but it seemed that his superior had managed to sneak close to him to dispatch the units with the press of a button.

"After all," He reminded. "Sagratia is a nation who will not tolerate terrorists, nor do we want them gaining the public's sympathy."


	23. Chapter 23

**Arc II**

**Chapter 10**

**Friend or Foe?**

* * *

While most would had ran by now, only the boy that Adrian was tasked to observe was capable of many feats, despite their taxing strain. After having shut down their sat-com channel, it seemed that he would have ran away in cowardice, but the boy- this nemesis of Arlo Johnstonii- seemed to cope with such a disadvantage of morale. In fact, compared to the community Adrian was living in before being coerced cooperation to work for Arlo... the boy had much more kindness than the community members shown.

'_I do not know why he strikes fear into the others, when it is clear this boy is an ideal we aspire to be._' Scientific progress, morality, and efficiency. It had been those three that Adrian had noted Taritsu having from a distance, and being as such those three qualities... it was clear that Arlo wanted him down for the count. '_He'd make a good life partner when I get my chance at being the Scientist Supreme. As a whole, the Tsufuru-jins haven't been consistent lately, and I guess that's why Janis stole me away._'

While observing the boy knock the Cultivars out with the use of an improvised fabric softener blanket, a feat which required immense precision, Adrian received an incoming transmission from... headquarters.

"_Lap dog. There seems to be an issue with the situation inside the building. Too many opposition, and there are suited enemies there._"

Adrian scowled at that term. Lap dog. That was all Arlo would refer to the pitiful adolescent, who had never asked to be involved with their troubles in the first place. All that Adrian wanted was to become a great scientist, and in doing so, revolutionize the world for a better tomorrow. Granted, it required adding a few years to the actual birth year, but such a stretched truth was necessary for Adrian to enroll in Sagratia's prestigious class universities.

"_There is another agent of mine joining you soon, so as to ensure the mission is a success. Don't forget to use the suit's capabilities; we did improve your performance, so don't you dare make up any excuses if you fail, you ungrateful wretch._"

Being reminded of past scars was degrading, especially since it really added emphasis on the fact that the adolescent wouldn't look in the mirror these days. '_Right, and when I come to power, I will protect all other subjects from suffering the same as I._' Almost crying by reminiscing about the fact, Adrian dearly wished time could had been reversed. Perhaps then they could have avoided having to resort to such degraded dishonesty, but Arlo was the one pulling the strings here; he had always pulled the strings.

Noticing Taritsu had left the observable field view, Adrian used the various functionalities of the modified Yautja bio mask to track him down. '_Arlo wants that energy device they have inside, but he also wants to beat the boy by analyzing his biology and mind._'

A cruel, manipulated thought came to mind. It was possible for Adrian to ignore the first order, and supersede it with the priority of Arlo's concern, which- in Adrian's understanding- could strategically place everything in order for a rebellion strike.

* * *

The standoff was nerve wrecking. Neither party knew how to handle these creatures, especially since they were very volatile and jittery with their movements. Almost as if they were animated to cause a wake of havoc, but wielded the intelligence to know how to outwit their opposition.

Having successfully gotten back on solid ground, Vejita began formulating a plan. '_Since the razors didn't work, then that means they have a tough exterior. Likely keratin, but they're highly mobile._' "Let's see. All I have on me is a taser, darts, gas pellets, and a lasso. Not much, but it could work if we're able to tie them up and electrocute them."

"That's not recommendable." Interjected the knowledgeable voice of Taritsu.

Having seen him drop off a couple of the creatures on the roof tiles, he noticed that the boy was able to successfully detain them using what they could infer as a homemade paint sprayer. Of course, it did help that he had a hyper processing body, able to do a lot more than the ordinary person at an exponential level, so Vejita trusted whatever his expertise could provide.

"Any of my attacks can make them explode, spilling powerful acids." He told them. Then, as if to emphasis his meaning, he pulled out a water balloon and made it pop as it hit the ground. "I also theorize that it can cause splash damage, and I wouldn't recommend being around them as it happens. The acids that they have are capable of melting you immediately. I don't know what the nature of these things are, but for sure, it seems their acids are unable to react with themselves. We're dealing with something that is composed of elements with a high base level, or at least secretes a fluid that neutralizes the effects."

Having knowledge of Chemistry, Vejita knew that what they had to do was immobilize the creatures, but he had no chemicals on them, nor did they know how to get to the creatures without being splashed himself.

"If we can get Anthony to provide us with more ammonia, then we'd have a chance to stop these organisms."

"One problem with that." replied Henry. He had been noticing as the others below were making their next moves, and it seemed to him that they weren't as knowledgeable of the creatures as his companion. In fact, Taritsu didn't even know what they were even classified as, and he knew a lot of their chemistry by observation alone!

"Who's gonna tell them that?"

Both Kairnese males looked inside to see how the events were going on without them, only to see that their comrades were at a disadvantage without them.

'_Charlotte is on the furthest side, separated from her father. Mom and Dad aren't anywhere near them, nor can I see them anywhere in the audience._' His mind was racing, knowing how his mother and father would usually try to save all the other bystanders back when they were youngsters. It was incredibly heroic for them to do something as selfless as the acts of charity they were doing, protecting the unabled, but it served against them as well. Taritsu especially knew about it when he accidentally was reading the letters his father had intended to burn; it was one of the reasons he hated being reminded of finding a spouse, seeing as he too followed their path.

Seeing Vejita crafting a form of weapon, the two aided him in stripping the metal off of the air ducts, then asked them to provide a fuse so that he could launch the pellets. It was crude, but the adult knew how to utilize his makeshift tool for the purpose he needed- obscure them from seeing the boys jump in and secure the Arc Reactor, all while Taritsu and Henry do their respected tasks. Hopefully he could hit his target in the first go, otherwise...

"Out of the way, everyone!"

Alberto Sparks warned everyone as he fired a blast from his repulsor cannon, a technology which no nation or militarized country had ever seen before. Where he aimed for compromised Vejita's plans, creating a hole where the Cultivars were able to escape to the lower floors and possibly take over the building. However, where it was the concern for the three boys and Kojiro to keep them from harm by these pests, Alberto's was to kick the samurai out of the building, along with his henchmen. It only took a moment later for the rest of his suit to fully assimilate together, thus covering him in a similar fashion as Shogun.

Since he was battle ready with his own power suit, Alberto immediately challenged Kojiro, being backed up by Vincent and Luke- who both made sure to keep the ninjas and Sagratian military personnel from harming anyone else by accident.

At the sight of all this chaos, the two identical fathers understood that there was a task needed to be done, and without hesitation- snuck around and dropped unto the lower floors. It simply took Baddack a while longer to ensure that his daughter wasn't going to be caught in the battle, commanding her to regroup with Taritsu once she had the chance.

'_The only thing I'm thankful for about all this was that Sparks distracted them all from this looming threat. Didn't think they were actually capable of invading urbanized locations, based on what I remember their habitats were like; seems uncle Roman wasn't kidding about being a paranormal investigator, seeing as these things are from a horrid era of history._' Noticing his younger counterpart, Baddack voiced his concern for the man's tolerance of landing from a drop of three stories. "Anything broken, Jack?"

"Can't say. Since I am made from the same genetic composition as you, I do have your durability and endurance. Only drawback is that I lack your skills and the claws." He reminded the older man of a secret that they agreed not to speak of to anyone else. Had it been that Baddack allowed Jack involved in his public life, he could have managed to tell everyone that he was indeed a brother, but his uncle Roman had been keeping tabs on his sister, ensuring that the family was safe, at least... that was how it was supposed to be until the 1960s.

"It's not something I can say that isn't a burden. Bone claws or not, skill is analytical and application. As for my accessories... it feels like having someone tear your ass each time I draw them out."

"But that was how it was when you were younger, and before the alloy amalgamation procedure. Now you're pretty much indestructible with the alloy coating your skeleton, not to mention that incredible healing works instantaneously with the clean cuts and retraction of the claws."

Baddack had to admit: he made a good point. '_No wonder he made the jump into politics after I invested his company. Too much charisma permeates from him, and it soothes the ears to hear about how elegant he makes it sound._' He paused, realizing that the thought was borderlining narcissism. Instead, he opted to think about his current mission. "You know, those things we saw earlier didn't appear like the ones I was fighting years ago. More agitated and intelligent, but with an unstable jitteriness; do you think a scientist modified the little bastards?"

Pausing briefly, Jack notified the older man that something was amiss. It was at that same moment that the generator powering the building was cut off from the rest of the system, leaving everyone else who were relying on artificial light in the dark. Only then did both men realize that their predator instincts were prominently increased, allowing them to track down the green humanoids which were responsible for the danger. Placing his hand on the younger man's shoulder, however, made Jack realize that these lesser beings were, in fact, cunning and aggressive than the regular species. The sound of an audible clean cut signified Jack that Baddack had made the kill, saving him from being punctured by the diving claws that propelled forward like a missile.

Eyes wide and unrelenting, Jack noticed as his role model was quietly cleaning off his claws from the acids which had successfully permeated into his coating. A subtly, but audible growl was audible as he reminded the younger man not to get too comfortable with his surroundings. It was necessary he listen to his counterpart; after all, he did survive half of his years alive being a mercenary. Death was too familiar with him. "Best we don't get ourselves killed, trying to get rid of these pests."

* * *

Watching the news live was something Nora liked to do in her free time. It was usually pertaining about a new discovery, or breakthrough; certainly the channel that she was currently watching something approved by her scientific standards, especially since she needed to keep her mind off of a certain person.

"Strange, isn't it."

The sudden cut off of the scene caught the attention of the old scientist, Weissman Wyle, just as Nora noticed that they had shown three people on top of the roof. She thought someone rather familiar was present at that time, but her capacity for facial recognition was not as adept as a certain android in the room. However, Weissman's intervention was not due to what was on the screen, but the very idea of why they were infiltrated on live television for the revolutionary technology. It reminded him of the story which inspired his decision to specialize in his field of expertise.

"Technologies, be it big or small, can impact in the most profound ways. Take for instance that so called "Arc Reactor" which Alberto Sparks had demonstrated just a few frames before the feed went out. It powered a sort of power suit, though I know nothing of its capacities, but still amazing in its own merits." He said, giving Bass a copy of his newest paper on the theory that he had been working on to solve Taritsu's personal mystery, which he was later to present to Baddack as he had asked for it. '_The boy has certainly shown greater physiological prowess than any before in the Kairnese ethnicity. It sort of reminds me of that fable of beings called Seiya-jins._'

"But the intrinsic value of technology can still be abused for a destructive cause; did you not see that this dilemma was out of a clash between two different mindsets of the application of the Arc Reactor? Certainly Sparks provides a prime example of how the malign would utilize our progress."

At this, Bass voiced his conclusion- without taking his eyes off the paper. "Humans, as it seems, desire to have progress for their own group. This innate feeling of being part of a cause naturally invokes them to assert control, even if that means contradicting themselves or abusing the intentions of another who willed that their creation or invention be used for the good of their species. The Arc Reactor- as I've analyzed from the 178 frames that we were exposed to in the live feed- seems to empower that suit _without_ any of the energy going to waste. Not only that, but it seems that it is a dire improvement to substitute for batteries, seeing as their capacity loses about 13% of its energy when not used- give or take an 8% tolerance."

Uncertainty was at play within Nora's mind, wondering what exactly was going on with Taritsu's parents, now that Bass had explicitly shed the light on such figures of tempting proportions. If that Arc Reactor was capable of replacing and powering up a complicated machine like the power suit presented in the news, then there was no doubt that some extremist would want the object in their possession.

Knowing that the girl was having her thoughts concentrated on a particular pessimistic mindset, Bass decided to continue with his insight. It wouldn't do good to let her speculate an assumption and suffer the effects of distress. "Yet, it seems what the Arc Reactor can do isn't so universally applied. It's a power source that can revolutionize the world, so if not given the necessary resisters to tolerate the energy output..."

He exemplified with a light bulb, rerouting his own energy source to overheat the wiring while he also managed to keep it from blowing up in such a close proximity.

"...most devices would burn out from their power source. Of course, since hardware malfunctions are common with technology to this day, I would assume there are methods to siphon away that excess energy, ensuring that the appliance or... let's say- android- does not break down. Instead, I would fear that such a redirection of power would still affect the process of a machine, especially an android with delicate transistors."

Hearing that, Nora gulped. With her father being of Sagratian origin, she knew of stories about how difficult it was for him to rise the through the ranks of poverty. Back when he was trying to provide his finances for his studies on his own, Cornelio was contracted for a six by six curriculum, earning himself enough recognition to start his own business. While she couldn't exactly recall what company contracted him, she remembered it being some sort of Cybernetic Dynamics company, and that it was his time spent there that he decided to leave his country to seek a more... friendly environment.

"I do not have much to fear about such a predicament, so neither shall you, Nora." Having seen her discomfort, Weissman began informing her of his own knowledge. "You see, in the years when I was a young _Knabe _in Grunde Schützen, my interests were not of biophysics, but the natural sciences. My reason was solely because I had grown up being the son of a conservative Christian father, and my mother had allowed me certain freedoms: scientific books such as that of Darwin's_ Origin of Species_ and Bejita Pioneeri's _Principles of Populations_. I was enlightened, and very overjoyed to see that I was not out of place, considering as my father had constantly berated me for not conforming. Of course, because of his abuses I decided to break one of his life-long commands, which was to never leave the _Rederzhausen_ province. Needless to say, it was for a good reason, and not able to cope with the fact that the wrong doings I've seen done to a minority in my hometown, society outside of _Rederzhausen_ was far more... unfair."

"But I digress," he said again, after the brief pause of his recollection of the memories of starving families and treachery honest individuals had to resort to just to survive in the cruel aftermath of the war- even 30 years after it ended. "My decision clearly set, I traveled to my mother's homeland, where I wished to learn a method to solve the ills of the people. Certain that I would be able to accumulate enough knowledge for a breakthrough, I was constantly set back by one fact: solving one theoretical problem would end up with another arising, throwing progress back and pilling onto the previous problem as well."

"Then, how did you come to Biophysics?" It was a rather loaded question, seeing as Weissman had remembered the man who had changed his life when they first met. Though he couldn't talk to anyone else about his intentions, seeing as they initially shunted him away for such petty reasons... Xavier was really the only one he could speak with on topics other than work. '_What ever did make him change._'

"That my dear, happened to be around the year of 1987. I was friends with a young man, Xavier Light, and he understood me. Granted, we didn't spend much time out of the institute socializing, but we did hypothesize and spoke of theoretical philosophies. It was until one of our talks that he brought up the rumor of a Pyrastrenean father who—with his extensive knowledge—was able to allegedly bring his son back to life. Sounds silly, I known, but the fact of the matter was that this was scientifically plausible... if one disregards the fact that what he brought back was not the original, but erected a copy in the form of an Android."

At this, Bass voluntarily voiced himself. "It's also from that reason that Dr. Wyle was recommending Taritsu to create my software with memories, rather than programming morality with laws. While not as perfect as what that father was able to do, I would assume that some degree of success was achieved, seeing as Dr. Wyle still has some documents archived on the funding the Pyrastrenean Government provided to the project."

With all this new knowledge, Nora was appalled. Sure, Weissman was influenced to do the same- Bass was the result of such a homage- but there seemed to be more to the doctor's story than just that. "Why did you transition to specialize in Robotics, knowing that it wasn't saving people anyway?"

"Actually, our Navy Encephalon Program that the scientific community has been working on over the last decade has been discovering ways of preserving a person's consciousness, but we're still decades from actually putting that into a common practice. Nevertheless, I decided Robotics was my best hope to aid others, since analyzing an individual's physiology for any anomalies and aiding surgeries that still had a relatively low chance of success a vast improvement in medical sciences, I took my studies seriously with that in mind. However, never did I imagine to have met Taritsu, especially since after I was kicked out of the community, Baddack Valogna had offered me a position. I'm now a certified physician, and in charge of the development teams that create specialized gurneys and robotics that minimize the amount of trauma done to a victim's body after being injured in an accident, and I am happy with that."

There was a pause that emphasized Weissman's reasoning, but it ended up being interrupted by Bass as he found an inconsistent conclusion, based on the last screening of the boy. "Is it a certain fact that his upper limit is ten tonnes?"

Taking a look, Weissman exclaimed in confirmation of the fact. The stats plateaued at that correlation, indicating that Taritsu was only capable of lifting objects up to ten tonnes; his speed was unknown, seeing as he never really went past the sound barrier after the first test, nor did he want to casually do so ever again.

"Take a look at these readings since his late visit five days ago. It seems that he's been straining his muscles, having reached around the 9 tonne mark, whereas, the first few readings had no such indication of deterioration."

Having seen it for his own eyes, Weissman could not deny that something was wrong. '_No, it should be a typo. I haven't been as energized lately, seeing as I'm nearing my 80s, so I must have wrote a blunder_.' "Perhaps it is my fault. Taritsu is perfectly healthy, and he did feel rather tired after returning with the others. Carrying both men from Chapelure to Kairne isn't an easy task, nor is fighting anyone allegedly stronger than himself"

Still insistent on his conclusion, Bass pulled out the drawing board. With a quick illustration of the statistics, he showed Weissman what he had knowledge of in the figures, and included the fact that his bracers were a factor in it... ordinarily.

"What's the exception?"

Pulling up one of the intact broken bracers from where Baddack had stored it for further analysis in his lab, Bass enlightened the man that their companion was drastically being affect by an unknown force. "These bracers siphon energy from Taritsu, ensuring his upper limits are never touched upon. Records show that these bracers were broken five days ago, around the same time he came in for screening. Ergo, even after he thought against something stronger than himself, I believe that Taritsu should have had at least 65% of his capacity left, essentially lifting much more than he regularly could, especially without strain. But he couldn't exactly do that~."

Weissman remembered the account Baddack had told him of the boy; coughing up blood during the fight, even though he wasn't damaged at all."He's infected with something. Something rather hazardous and degenerative to his capabilities."

* * *

_HNNNNG!_

It was difficult for Charlotte to find her way through the dark room, seeing as she was worrisome about the ninjas capturing her. Thoughts about such a negative possibility coming true were overwhelming her, much to her discomfort, and she desperately wanted to escape from the conflict.

CLING CLANG

The sound of the samurai's sword clashing with the suit of armor which Alberto Sparks had resonated in the girl's ears, further disorienting her awareness of proximity to the safe zone she marked in her mind. Was she 10 meters or 50 meters away from reaching the safest point in the room? She wouldn't know, because it didn't really matter once she found herself being prompted to move by three members of the samurai's legion. Fear of being used as a hostage, of being killed by both parties was crippling her mind as she watched the two teammates of Spark's take out the other ninjas. The Archer disposing of many with the use of non-lethals, shooting them with electric arrows to paralyze them, and the Hacker using his electrically-augmented abilities to weave to and from each of the ninjas, making sure to minimize the acceleration needed to knock them out.

'_Let me go. I don't want to die; please, I beg you all to let me be._'

Suddenly, the voice that she recognized as her brother's chimed in. It seemed to her that he had just coming back from his quick visit to another world, but Charlotte felt something was off. She remembered that her brother had left to do as he so claimed, and yet she could still hear his voice? How could he be deceiving her like that?

"_There's nothing wrong with it, sis. I merely want to help you, is all; doing what I'm going to say will increase your chances of survival, so don't be afraid of utilizing your tails._"

It was still laced with that venomous tone she was afraid of, which was oddly inconsistent as she thought whenever she heard him regularly there wouldn't be any of that awful tone that coerced her with fear. Could it be possible... that Charlotte was losing her mind?

"_What are you doing? I said to utilize your tails, not to pray. Seems like I'd need to do this myself, huh?_"

It was at that moment that she felt herself losing control of her arms, and while she knew her brother would kindly ask to take control of her by calming her mind, the entity which spoke to her seemed very alarmed that she wasn't doing as it recommended. With its complaint to her actions, she knew something was truly amiss, but now she was afraid of whatever was taking over her.

GYAH!

ARGH!

KYEH.

She was able to witness as her body moved on its own, and within a few seconds with no interruptions, she saw as the men were each taken out of commission by the entity which was trying to control her. Suddenly, she realized that her twin tails were out from where she hid them away. '_Please, it's over now, give me back control._'

"_Sorry, sis. I have a goal to achieve, and it's the perfect time to do it._"

Eyes widening, she saw as the entity was referring to Taritsu, and with her body having been taken over by some unknown spirit, Charlotte could only watch in horror as the distance between them was closing. '_TARI!_'

Having thought he heard Charlotte call his name, Taritsu found himself moving at a highly accelerated rate, not even remembering how in the world he initiated it.

"_It's normal, I assure you. Quickly, this brief period of slowed time perception allows you to see everything around you as if you were running. The only drawback is I recommend not running with it active._"

"What do you mean? I could honestly do this before, so why not now?"

"_It's... complicated, but that doesn't stop your curiosity, huh? Doing so will strain your unprepared mind, especially since light takes a while to move from one point to another. In other words, your mind will effectively run on par with a quantum computer, frying the brain in the process, not to mention that it drains Hadou massively and the implications it will do to your natural supply..._"

Shaking his head to forget about it, he utilized his hyper processing mind to perceive his surroundings. With the area being much slower than it would appear to everyone else, Taritsu had successfully managed to transition from the 50 frames to 600 frames per second, whilst standing still.

To see everything moving at such a slow rate was rather amazing for Taritsu, seeing as he regularly only did so when ever he ran, but now he was capable of reacting within a moment's notice of being idle. The details he saw were typical out of a movie scene; the fighters were in one half of the room, with the audience scrambling out of the double doors now that Vincent's arrow had blown off the hinges- allowing them the freedom they craved. Luke, being electrically empowered, seemed to not notice that he was moving at such a high rate while standing still, but his own movements were still much faster than he could register. In fact, they were faster than he wanted to move, and it was the moment when Luke had forgotten to check where the flying projectiles of his enemy were being thrown at that made the boy react in selflessness.

Grunting while the sound of metal resonated in their ears, Luke and Charlotte eyed the martyr before their eyes. Blood seeped through his clothing, and while incredibly powerful enough to have reinforced his own body with hadou, it seemed his protective aura of Hadou had reacted violently as he neared Charlotte, allowing the projectiles a window to injure him.

"_H-He...couldn't have?_" The unknown entity in Charlotte did not know what to say as it had witnessed Taritsu sacrifice his well being. However, it was soon retreating within the girl as it noticed that he was subconsciously growling; his primal mind knowing that it existed.

"_Oh, and movements are incredibly sensitive while using the time perception technique._" He heard his inhabitant inform him afterwards, to which he thought it should had told him earlier. All he wanted to do was pluck the projectiles out of the air, but... hugging Charlotte to protect her from dying was good too.

Charlotte was silent through the ordeal, seeing the boy hold onto her tightly as wasn't letting out a holler or pained scream. It was inhumane to let him suffer like that, but he held her from moving, wanting to protect his friend. Teeth gritted, Taritsu was finding it hard to calm his rage from taking over, disrupting the Hadou layer he created around himself to calm his urges. As it began to diminish away, he began hearing the menace- as his so called friend labeled it. Immediately, Taritsu was told to keep himself mentally steeled.

KWAH!

Spilling the blood that had risen in response to what the menace was trying to do. Attacking him remotely in some unknown manner, the boy began realizing that the same effects were happening to him when he used that murderous power.

However, he had enough strength in himself to carry Charlotte over to Anthony, then pulled out the blades precisely. Seeing him able to tolerate such pain frightened the two, but he reassured that nothing was wrong. "Stay here where it's safe. Anthony can protect you while the others get here; I trust his skills also encompass throwing projectiles."

"Just because I have enhanced memory doesn't mean I can mathematically analyze every variable in seconds. But yes, I'll do what I can with the weapons you provided."

'_Before I go see mom and dad, I better do something about this on going fight._ _Alberto Sparks seems like he'll need a little help with that samurai. Good thing I know a thing or two from childhood._'

Stopping a few meters away from the two suited men, Taritsu called out his challenge. Baffled at his confidence, Kojiro briefly observed his appearance, then realized that he was being challenged by someone he wouldn't dare fighting. Coolidge had told him that he had encountered an adolescent who had caught onto him, disrupting the chemicals in his container and being sprayed with it. Since he was also shot with bullets afterwards, it was quite possible that the individual should had died, but he was here before him. Then his scanner brought his attention to that tail of his; looking over his facial features, he was then certain that he had been challenged by none other than a nephew.

"I don't have time for this." He immediately punched the ground, quick-dropping onto the floors below and escaping from his counterpart. His remaining men followed suit, using smoke pellets to escape from view and leaving the vicinity as it was earlier conversed. Although they felt it was dishonorable to leave their leader behind, Kojiro had assured them that the plan would have to improvise for any new predicaments; their mission was to annihilate the Cultivars, nothing more, nothing less.

* * *

"So that's what you're afraid about?"

"Yeah." Baddack found himself feeling the difficulty of keeping the anger from swelling, knowing that doing so would place them at a disadvantage. Having killed four more of the Cultivars was a bit of a task, but each of the men were able to track down the creatures and destroy them before it could either claw out their organs or explode in front of their face. Jack wasn't so sure of his ability to survive acids, but he did know that his counterpart was capable of returning from the dead, so long as he had enough time to recover.

'_This is a serious matter, so why would this idiot approve such a thing?_' "Hey, mind telling me why you find my problem hilarious?"

Calming down, Jack did his best to stifle the recurring giggle fit, but ended up cleaning a few tear drops from his eyes. "Nothing, it's really just all in your head, Baddack."

"Oh? So how would you like if your daughter was raped by someone so close to her?"

"Hypothetically, I would be pissed off, of course. However, we are talking about Taritsu here, and Clarinda did tell me earlier that she's going out with him sometime next month... _she told me that it was due to some request she had from his mother and grandmother about being engaged to a girl from the Jakarta Province or what not_." He mumbled to himself, being somewhat conscious of the political matter of the engagement. Jakarta was one of the few places in the world that still lived the old warrior way, which wasn't very interesting to the boy- seeing as he was primarily a scientific philosopher. If anything, Taritsu would most likely want to be with Euphemia- especially since Clarinda had reported that the two had matching pendants. '_Such a small world we live in..._'

"Anyway, I find nothing wrong with what he would had done, seeing as his instincts and urges are more or less similar to ours- give or take extra abilities we have no clue of. At the very least, if he's not monogamous- then I would expect him to retain his honor and take responsibility for my daughter, along with whoever he chooses. After all, you knew that having Kaede and Marguerite as your wives wouldn't be a comfortable life, let alone would society approve; that's why you decieved her into thinking I was the one who protected her that fateful night, since your own life was too reckless for someone like her. Marguerite was an exception, but that's because she's undeniably a pollyanna, and definitely looked up to you- regardless of your flaws."

Sensing that he was still iffy on all that information, Jack continued to explain. "In an ideal world, society would not have much an effect of who you can or can't love. Sure, the taboo of incest keeps us civil and well grounded from anarchy, but does it really mean that love is finite, let alone which sorts of loves is accepted by a backwards society? You loved both women, Baddack, but even you knew that it would had been impossible to fight for your rights. Taritsu seems to be capable of fighting for himself- in fact, I don't think he cares much about what people tell him he can or can't do."

"He's the son of a morally righteous family, that would be contradictory if what you said was true."

"No, it would merely confirm my statement," he retorted. "Morality is an evolving force, capable of changing things for the better. It is a sort of social-psychological instrument that improves a society, further allowing a group to transcend their reasoning of caring for one certain group and altering a person's thinking to comprehend that it is not them vs everyone else, but everyone for themselves. That is why the old king- Xetsu Rutabaski- chose to explain and promote morality with Evolutionary Psychology. Besides, love comes in many forms, not just sexual; emotional supportive relationships were something Rutabaski was trying to explain in his teachings, even though nowadays the Sagratian culture and extremist call him a misogynist for having more than one wife. Can you imagine if he marries our daughters, and Euphemia?"

The thought ticked him off, especially since Baddack had been informed of what his counterpart had been doing with the young girl. She wasn't someone he wanted to see hurt, especially since she reminded him of his own mother. When he stated that there was a likely chance of an arranged marriage between Euphemia and the brat of Jack's consultant, Baddack almost tore a hole through his counterpart. But Jack assured him that it wasn't set yet. '_I still don't want her to end up like my mother; Taritsu's not going to defile her, not unless he wants to have a talk._'

The sound of the ceiling breaking above their heads brought the two men's attention to the newcomer's introduction. With a quick evade, the fathers were ready to attack once the dust cleared, but soon lowered their weapons as it was audible to everyone that the new individual was hunting down the same creatures as they were. Turning around to face them, Kojiro sheathed his sword and presented himself, knowing that he needed allies to vouch for him.

"Sawasaki, Kojiro. Member of the Ecological Associates for Sequential Youth."

Not fully trusting the man, Baddack slowly lifted his left arm, and inquired what his intentions were. After that encounter with the mercenary the other day, he needed to be cautious. "Are you a part of BALM or WUSS?"

"Independent. BALM was a part of us, until they drifted away from the maxim. Now, we are mainly comprised of educated members, and wish to solve the world's problems, even if it means having to steal possessions and information. We also try not to kill any bystanders, but your associates have made it a challenge with not complying with my men. Unfortunate as our intentions were to take the Arc Reactor, as a preemptive means to secure the technology before any organization or third party with malign intentions could get their hands on it. The fact that these Cultivars are here are simply a distraction to our mission, and I couldn't exactly allow any of the audience members to suffer death by one of these abominations, but Alberto Sparks ruined the situation further by allowing the group to escape."

"I understand," Jack replied while nodding in affirmation. While he knew nothing much about EASY, he could tell that the man was behaving in the honorable code of conduct as a samurai would. "So the reactor is something the enemy is targeting? What would have been the plan after getting your hands on it?"

Baddack visibly stood appalled by his counterpart's openness to help, being so trusting towards a stranger. Nevertheless, Kojiro was not affected as much as he was letting on by Baddack's lack of trust. "My comrades would have found a way to contain the device, and distribute it world wide, free of cost. There will be no military applications, and no monetary gain on our part. We simply wish for the world to improve, as it is one of the visions the wiser of us have consulted with the rest."

Curious as to when the group was started, Jack pried for another perspective. "How long have you been active?"

"Since the time Emperor Firanze came to reign Kairne; we've gone with different titles over the years, even assimilating with the Templers during the Regression War when the Brotherhood went global and took in corrupted ideals. It seemed rather traitorous to do so, but the alliance between Assassins and Templers has kept both BALM and WUSS from igniting a war during the 60s. The most famous of us that the world knew about was Juliano Marzo, seeing as he was leading our faction in Grunde Schützen."

Taking that into consideration, Baddack withdrew his claws, tolerating their temporary ally. However, he quickly found himself having to shield the other two from an ambush, taking the full front of an electric shock bomb which was covertly delivered by unknown means. Walking over to check on his older counterpart, Jack heard the crackling of what looked like miniature tear gas grenades, and instantly found himself succumbing to the effects.

Seeing this, Kojiro's computer was able to scan and determine what had just happened, only to find his computer starting to waver from someone trying to shut him down remotely. '_I have to ditch my suit before I'm placed at a disadvantage._'

Jumping out of the entire metal exoskeleton, Kojiro found himself needing to rely on his senses, specifically ones which he thought he'd never truly need on missions. Some called it an Eagle's Vision, since all details that a computer missed during a scan of the room was instantly located, but the price of such a skill placed a burden on his mind. The only reason he did find it useful was because his grandfather was somehow capable of deciphering if a person was being dishonest with him. '_The constant use must have also made him go paranoid._'

"I know you're around here," the samurai boldly proclaim, wielding the katana in hand as he immediately deflected the small projectiles that were fired at him from each direction. Counting each pause between the shots, Kojiro was able to determine that he was being ambushed by a loner, but it was strange how quickly the individual was able to move from one side to the other. "It's unorthodox how you're using such relatively small weaponry, especially how they're being fired. I'm pretty certain that you wouldn't have the time to have set that all up, nor that you have supernatural speed. I would had knocked out my enemy by then, and I can cross out invisibility since you would have fallen by now."

A quick, piercing of wind filled his ears, throwing Kojiro's attention off for the brief seconds he looked at his clothing that had been tagged with some odd dagger. It was pretty small, and seemed to be blinking a lot in succession that reminded him of a bomb. Scrambling to get rid of it, he found that it was deeply rooted in his clothes, and anxiety began to cloud his mind. This was a grave mistake for him to had been bothered with.

"I'll help you with that."

"W-Where~!?" He couldn't finish his sentence as the leather suited man drove his two fingers right at Kojiro's abdomen, then forcibly cracked the entire impact of his punch in a split second, effectively knocking him out from shock.

Returning to full size after seeing him knocked out by the second size shifter, Adrian began berating the new individual. "You really didn't have to injure him so crudely."

"Quiet, subject Epsilon-15." Retorting as he spat at the ground, Arlo's minion found having to supervise the traitor a boring task. With what he had seen, Adrian was holding back from taking out the enemies, almost as if the lapdog of his boss didn't have the enthusiasm for the task. "You would have needed to kill them sooner or later. Everything ends up biting you back at the end if you leave it be."

Watching as he dug his boot onto Jack's back, Adrian couldn't help but feel disgusted at the lack of sympathy. Certainly this couldn't really be approved by Julian Voreps?

"Come on. We need to grab that Arc Reactor they presented earlier. It seems like a viable source of power that Johnstonii needs, and this one's a great candidate for the analysis project."

* * *

As the boy continued messing around with the materials he was given, Vejita wondered where their fifth member was off to. He could have sworn seeing him taking all those knives on his own, not bothering to bat them away with his high speed as there were too many and he didn't have time to keep them from harming Kakarotto. Speaking of Kakarotto, he seemed rather... sullen and moody. Not in the way of a brat, but what one might see in a female.

'_Er... I could be wrong, but perhaps my detective skills haven't caught up on that fact._' He remembered the tiniest of details, but they all seemed like romantic friendship to him, so the general's son did not bat an eye whenever he saw the two. How could he had missed the fact that the two companions were of opposite genders; Kakarotto had unnatural effeminate eyelashes, and a longing look whenever the two were together. In fact, the times that they were separated revealed more of the younger "_male's_" secrets, seeing as he longed for his return. '_It explains everything, including why he doesn't seem to care for seeking a potential mate._'

Giving Henry his weapon, Vejita used his best, nonthreatening tone to ask "Kakarotto" where the boy was.

"Off to find his parents." Immediately replied Anthony, calibrating his improvised tool for his plans. It seemed like a makeshift EMP device, with all the wires and circuit boards that he took from the cameras the audience left behind. "My brother made the idiotic decision to blast that hole beneath the creatures, letting them escape for their rampage. I was observing their actions, and they seemed to contradict their instincts. So I figured, some scientist placed microchips in their brains, controlling them for a specific task."

"All that from observation?"

Anthony sighed, finding the trigger wasn't working as he hoped it would. He noticed as one of the wires were faulty, having been a thin cut that he made to retrieve the wires from the microphones. "Yeah, but my hypothesis isn't a set absolute. I may know how behaviors work, reading all I can from books and internet archives, but my mind isn't as powerful as Rutabaski's. That Biological Acceleration of his is pretty darn useful, seeing as he learns through various methods, as compared to my method."

"But you are smart on your own right. I mean, you hacked into a foreign company's computer, just like that."

"No, I was simply lucky that they had relatively poor security on their systems. Besides, I seem to be rather inferior to Rutabaski's methods; he even somehow discovers patterns and picks up on things on the spot."

At this, Vejita had to make things clear. "Actually, that's what separates the two of you."

Confused as to what he was talking about, Vejita elaborated. "Usually he'd learn from experiences, but with dire consequences added into the equation, he'd have to improvise. I don't know what makes him compelled to do so, taking the harder paths when he can, but he somehow manages by placing himself at a disadvantage; it's how he naturally handles things. But enough of that... did he tell you we needed ammonia? It's difficult to get our hands on it at the moment."

Laughing at Vejita's comment, Anthony began to reveal what it was that they needed, though he whispered it to keep the others from hearing. Once he was told, Vejita found himself wanting to punch the Rutabaski primogeniture, but felt himself obliged to follow the commands. "Are you certain that's where he'd go to find a large quantity?"

"Well, you could bust into a custodian's room and take some ammonia cleaner, but I doubt that would be enough to handle 28 of those creatures."

"I-um..." Kakarotto's interjection caught them off guard, having now come to terms with what was going on. She was still frightened by the voice in her head, speaking about Taritsu as if it needed him for something, but she mentally hushed it up once she made a deal with it. However, she also didn't want to have him endangered because of her carelessness. "I think we should draw out those green monsters with the Arc Reactor. I mean, they were being drawn to it, seeing as those things took out the power in a matter of seconds, as if they knew how to detect electricity."

"Hey, I second that idea, but how would we borrow your brother's prototype? I mean, he does need it, even though the threats been gone for a while now." Henry wanted to use another method, but that would mean using Taritsu, who wasn't here at the moment.

Yet Anthony seemed to read that exact thought off the boy's face, understanding that Henry brought up an interesting fact. "New plan: Pioneeri and Valogna head out to find Rutabaski. Blakes and I will finish up with weaponizing, and gathering ammonium from all the stalls. Once we have everything, try to get the creatures out in the open, but keep away from the building once I give the signal. You won't want to get caught when I set off the sprinkler system with what we're putting in it."

"Don't have to," chimed the voice of their missing member. Behind him were his parents, with Sedrick wearing his old uniform colors along with the shield on his back. Yanagi had conflicting views as she saw her son fiddling with a strange wrist device of his and a canister that he had pulled out earlier. She was wondering where exactly he stored it, more than she questioned exactly what it was that it contained. However, she knew that her son was being a bit too reckless as he had asked her to not worry so much about himself, suggesting that she should be on the lookout for when the creatures would sneak up on them. "My parents and I will take care of the specimens, you four try to convince Alberto Sparks to lend us the Arc Reactor."

"Wait, I don't think he'd understand what we know."

Silent as Taritsu could not come up with a realistic reason other than malicious aliens coming after the product, he tried to keep himself from losing his composure as he recalled the conversation his father had relayed to him from back home. At this rate, he was going to end up using intuition to justify his reasons, even though he had more than enough evidence to distrust Sagratia's political leaders. '_It's necessary though. They know I made Bass, so it's possible that they'll launch their own prototypes with the way things are escalating right now._'

"What do you know about Sagratia's military and your brother's negotiations."

That hit him. Hard.

Anthony couldn't lie, he just knew. It seemed like yesterday that some business associate of the company came to his brother to negotiate schematics for a program that would improve the work force, wanting to know about what made their robots capable of withstanding such heavy weights without breaking down. In the end, Alberto had him leave, but not without the man giving him his business card. If he could recall what it said, then maybe...

"Cybernetic Dynamics." Henry replied for him. "I saw one of their trucks drop a crate before, and it ended up having some kind of automaton in it. Seemed creepy to me, with the detail of a chrome skull, all motionless and waiting. As if it were a herald of death; but they confiscated it." He ended, not wanting to tell them the exact details of what had occurred between the two moments. All that was certain about that event was that his attitude had changed- drastically.

That being said, Anthony agreed with the implications of their conversation, not wanting to deal with whatever the government would be sending soon. If it were an automaton like that, then he'd need to reconstruct a more powerful EMP, or at least make some sort of powerful electromagnet. "Let's not waste any time, get to it."

* * *

Shizuka carefully observed her student, the younger of the Chandler family.

After the certain outing that the girl had with her favorite student, she seemed a bit different. An air of confidence and renewed vigor as she felt enthusiasm at her discovery; the reunion she had with the childhood friend eased her, reinvigorated her dreams.

It was toxic.

She couldn't allow her task to fail due to this mortal's desires.

...but she knew it would be even worse if she kept them apart.

'_I'd need to make some sacrifices in order to protect him. Though this does pain me to break her heart... it's necessary to do what I need to do._' She noted as her student placed the silver pendant down, preparing herself for the shower. Once she was out of the room, she made her way to acquire the possession, then snuck out once more.

"_Let's hope I'm not too late._"

* * *

After stopping herself from intervening, Amanda Burnes carefully surveyed the public relations skills that her associate proclaimed was a professional at. Alberto had seriously worsen the situation, seeing as she hadn't been able to do anything about those creatures that got away, but did manage to sneak up a tracking device onto the duo who followed the creatures. Valogna's father would certainly take care of the 28 specimens.

'_Huh. That's strange._' The device was returning a signal for the same area for a while now. Checking a map on her specialized wristwatch, Burnes figured that they were on the floor with the building's pipes, a huge amount of floors below where she currently was. As she did so, the voice of Alberto and the others were filling her in on how the audience was taking the situation. A subtle vibration reminded her that she was still required to report to her superior, just as the Rutabaski family was dropping below the current floor. '_What exactly is Rutabaski doing?_'

"_Corvo, status report on the team._"

"Handling the audience at the moment. Something imperative has come up."

"_And Spark's hasn't gotten on to that as a priority?_"

"With all due respect sir, he's more of a public speaker than a hunter." That line brought Miles' attention immediately. He needed to know exactly what had occurred, especially since his video feed had gone offline a few minutes ago. "Rest assure, Valogna and Rutabaski is on the case at the moment, but we need to do something about Sagratia's leaders."

"_Having wired into the president's cellular is a serious offense, but I do agree, Corvo._" Miles signaled for his agents to display a current tracking of the seven unidentified objects traveling their way at mach speed. He didn't want to believe it, seeing as the president had called in drones to their location. "_Listen up. Take the Arc Reactor from Sparks. Take it to safety and don't allow anyone to hold on to it, other than yourself. Once that is done, follow Rutabaski and help them._"

"But sir~!"

"There's no time to argue about technicalities, terms, or conditions. I know what I am doing and it is important that you do so."

Beaten with no way to reject his demand, Burnes did as she needed to do. However, it was awkward trying to get his attention while so many eyes were on Alberto Sparks, so she used the communications link he had Kurzgesagt set up. "_Alberto, you have to lend me your reactor for a while._"

"How do we know there won't be any more attacks?"

Alberto had to struggle on dealing with the audience and Amanda, but he knew that she hadn't spoken during the entire ordeal unless he needed to be doing something else. As such, the man deactivated his suit, having it retract until it was a simple chest piece. Soon after he did so, the man found it annoying that they were still around in the building, so he had recommended them to be escorted out of the infrastructure.

"Hey, is that another one of your products?"

As the anonymous audience member pointed out, the squadron of seven androids landed on the streets below from their mach speed flight, armed and ready for the search and destroy mission which it was programmed to follow.

* * *

To be continued...


	24. Arc II Q&A

**Arc II Q&amp;A**

**1\. Can you explain what the world countries, Nations, and Continents are in detail?  
**

First off, I'd like to start with the continents of the world then working from nations to their corresponding countries/provinces. _Fair Warning: This will be a long post for an answer, so if you don't want to read the overbearing answer, feel free to skip._

_Continents_: Kairne, Serbia, Europa, Sagratia, Pyrastrene, Falyen, and Antarctica. The last one is a direct homage to the Antarctic, but it is a rather important place of operations- especially when "no one" lives there.

_Nations_: United States of Ameria (North Sagratia), Mirova (South Sagratia), Federal States of Kairne, Pyrastre (Pyrastrene), Europa, States of Serbia, Empire of Boruvia, Chapelure, Grunde Schrutzen, and Falyen. Sagratia as a whole is made up of both US Ameria and Mirova, but they are usually referred to as Sagratia, since they like to build up a reputation- whilst Mirova is trying to survive on its own without being bothered by the world, especially when you consider the fact that they are rumored to still have a large population of energy manipulators. Kairne also started off as a Confederacy in the past, which then ended up becoming a Federation when their revolution took place.

_Countries/Provinces(Districts)_:

-**Kairne**: Ordana, Atheos, Wavner, Terranta, Solne, Maerya, Farren, Rven, Pyrna, Jakarta, Castilla, and Irayne.

-**Boruvia**: Kosoto, Yokotori, Yeojin, Kenzaki, Rahae, Haecho, Virabana, Sariju, Hoerysan, Seoje, and Jeonpo.

-**Pyrastre**: Bukreyevka, Ratushino, Glukhovo, Kuilya, Chukar, Pcheika, Kozlovka, Shevchenko, Baslaki, and Lavreshovo.

-**Europa**: Ingla Terra (Eikoko), Abersoch, Stratton, Nicheyse, Avon, and Warton.

-**Chapelure**: Fressine, Saran, Puttlingen, Morbecque, Telos, Kupa, Martfů, and Biwels.

-**Grunde Shrutzen**: Fellerich, Hoffenheim, Albertaich, Arberg, Osterhever, Metzlersreuth, Halverde, and Daubenrath.

-**Falyen**: Ţanbishā, Qosseir, Hihyā, Ibkhāş, Kwinshindi, Sukatifu, Kawungu, Tshikashi, Bugarula, Tuafiki, Zaza, Jerjarno, Hirute, and Get'ē.

-**Serbia**: Jhugge Awān, Tsohai, Chāh Misrīwāla, Musaghir, Ash Sha'rā', Al Mutayn, Baryāḩā, Osmandede, and Babalı.

-**US Ameria**: I want to use the states, but I don't want to get copyrighted. Let's just do word plays and hope that you as my audience gets it.

-**Mirova**: Racharichic, Tlahuiltepa, Cozamil, Sunuapa, Jereguaro, Perinola, Oxholom, Regis, Gasogachic, and Lestillero.

**2\. Can you explain who Nora is supposed to represent?  
**

Nora Levy is a blue-haired teen genius, and daughter of Cornelio Levy of the Atheos Province's most influential family. Her father was an overseas student of university who was contracted by Cybernetic Dynamics in the early 80s, but left as he found the project too much for his liking. Instead, he returned to Kairne after learning about how they were using their android project to discover the secrets of the human mind, which he saw fitting after learning what CD was planning for the future. In the end, he left The United States of Sagratia to claim his inheritance, married a Kairnese woman, and fathered Nora.

However, as you may have noticed, Nora has blue hair and is knowledgeable in biology and computer technology. How I see her is- in a way- a Bulma espy... though the reason I have introduced her from the beginning will become clear as the story goes on.

**3\. What's the difference between "Seiya-jins" and "Saiyans" exactly?  
**

Seiya-jins and Saiyans are from the same origin. Saiyans originally, were the offspring of two of the Elders of the previous universe, but things happened and led to them having to disappear for several hundred thousand years. These were known as "Homo Anthropoidus" as Taritsu had been talking about when he discovered the skeletal remains of an undiscovered species, and is crucial for a major plot point.

However, because of that event that led them to disappear, the four genetic subspecies were given limitations on accessing their abilities- as the Elders didn't want another catastrophe such as the one that had occurred before. As for what occurred with the Kairnese...

Over the millenniums, the subspecies had been immigrating around the world, with most of them seeking the illustrious land that was Ancient Kairne. With a high density of genetic diversity, these groups ended up hybridizing back to the genetic potential of the H. Anthropoidus group, but their traits weren't expressed dominantly as one would think. In this case, I would imagine them as the Saiyan-Earthling Hybrids like Gohan, since they still appear indistinct from every other individual in the world, with the only physical indicator being their tails (or physiological limits if they honed themselves to the limit).

What they needed was a certain gene that only those of the heavens (the tribe that lived with The Great Mother Seiya) had, which would allow them to improve themselves and express the traits.

Taritsu and the rest of the individuals who comprise the 0.0001% of the "Saiyan" population, are considered exotic human to those who didn't know of their terrible secrets, but they don't hone their bodies as well as everyone would believe they would. This is because they saw no reason to do so, since Kairne and Boruvia have sanctions for the ethnicity, and they usually don't talk about their genetic inheritance so openly with foreigners (nor in public for that matter).

So everyone is considered a Seiya-jin due to the fact that they are the descendants of Seiya, but not everyone is a Eudoran Saiyan. And of course, no one is really a Saiyan from canon, yet.

WUSS, however...

**4\. Wait... Charlotte also has a menace bothering her? And what's going on with Kakarotto?  
**

Part of the reason why Yanagi recommends Taritsu to avoid taking Charlotte as a spouse has to do with her origin. For the most part, she was born after Taritsu's divine abilities were noticed, and Marguerite was anxious about his well-being as he would be targeted by threats as he grew up. Additionally, Yanagi doesn't want him to find out about the traumatic experience which her son was involved with, and Marguerite's intervention.

As for Kakarotto...

He's being used by an unseen entity that he doesn't know about himself, though he does realize something is amiss as his sister is suffering from its effects.

**5\. Will you make some background/Flash-back chapters?  
**

Of course, but to make an entire Flash-back chapter would be more of a one-shot that explains some of the things I wouldn't normally be able to in the main chapters. If the time comes, then I would treat my readers with a few while the plot-wise chapters are under maintenance. But for now, the chapters may have a partial flash-back to explain some of the reasoning in the story.

**6\. I noticed you used some marvel content. Very unoriginal for this story. Plus, you center around the main character too much. Where's the plot?  
**

Marvel, DC, Nintendo, Capcom, Ubisoft, etc...

This is a crossover fiction- or rather- an Alternate Universe/Possible History that explains the plot-holes in the original series. Sometimes borrowing concepts from a different work is necessary to make a story interesting. I'm not following plots, detail by detail, and I notice that I am putting too much of a centralization on the main character. This is going to change as we enter Arc III, and the plot thickens as we're continuing. Besides, the last few chapters were referencing previous details from Arc I, so the plot is still progressing.

**7\. Can you explain what's up with the main character? He seems more like a plot device than a character lately.  
**

Does he? I'm trying to establish a point by taking the means of having him suffer from an illness. Said illness will serve two purposes, so is Taritsu the plot device or a character? Let's just say Arc III makes the distinction clearer to you who are skeptical.

**8\. Why did you add that tidbit with the club, and not mention it ever again?  
**

I kept note of what I was going to do with the club, but never referred to it again in the chapters after it. It is a necessary thing though, as you will see it used as a base of operations later. Also, bear in mind that there's a bit of a spoiler in answering this particular question how I just did, so don't be mad if I can't tell you the exact details of the club this early.

**9\. Is there going to be any time skips soon?  
**

Most likely. I don't want to have the characters stay around 14 years old (Vejita is 18 years now), and I also want to make use of minor characters like Taritsu's siblings. Besides, I want to get to the point where the plot twists are.

**10\. That illness he has seems ominous, especially since it seems to be Taritsu's only weakness right now. What can I expect, considering that he might conveniently heal from it soon?  
**

Expect an establishment of abilities with an Achilles heel. Also expect to see less triumphs on his part.

**11\. What does Taritsu look like, in your opinion?  
**

All Rutabaski males look similar in their facial features, especially the eyebrows. They also share this with the Valogna family, since they've been related over the years as descendants of the Kairne Confederacy founders: Firanze and Anisum, the ancestral heads of Rutabaski and Valogna respectively.

However, if I were to state how he'd look like, it would vaguely be the appearance of young Gohan with his wild hair when grown out, but as a certain Jotaro Kujo with the haircut his mother gave him. Naturally, however, the Rutabaski males tend to groom themselves to match the appearance of their fathers once they grow up, so this may change later.

**12\. How far along are you with planning the story out?  
**

I know my finale villain already, and I gave foreshadowing on the villain in the last couple of chapters. I also know that by Arc IV, the time-travel gimmick will be introduced, and I also know who I want the main character to end up with. Honestly, some of the details really made me feel like a jerk though, but I'd like for as many characters of the cast to have a happy ending.

**13\. Are you going to end up pairing characters up soon? It seems like you will, considering all the interactions he has with girls. By the way, I'm suspecting a bit of the nostalgic vibe between Nora and Taritsu being similar to how Goku and Bulma are. History repeats much?  
**

Yes, but it will be part of his motivation to change himself and figure out something he had forgotten. As for the analogy you made, that's jumping ahead of the story's intended path. Congratulations on making the connection... but can you guess why Nora is that important?

**14\. ****You have most of your chapters mostly in spouting information and little action. Will you be fixing this issue?**

I try to manage each chapter under 10,000 words and explain a lot to keep the plot going. Not everything in the story is about Character A and Character B resolve their issues by battle. This isn't Game of Thrones and it certainly won't be as scandalous as what other successful stories in DBZ fanfiction are currently establishing.

However, rest assure that Arc III will make fights stand out more, though it won't be based on brute strength alone.

**15\. ****Can you give out power levels on the main characters, if there is any at all? Also, what are their ages?  
**

_*These may or may not scale them as being better than another in a fight*  
_

Vejita (18): 49,000 (doesn't know he augmented his physiology with ki)

Charlotte (14): 5,000

Taritsu (14): 11,000... he limits himself (56,000 when not stricken by his illness and at full health)

Henry (15): 40,000 (99% physical based)

Anthony (13): 900 (mainly concerned with solving problems through intellect, though he is at peak condition... and can go higher if he augments himself with ki)

Johannes Greil (58): 50,000 (940,000 when he was in his prime youth with full mastery of ki and peak physical health. He doesn't train himself to the limit as much now though)

Riccardo "Sedrick" (35): 80,000 (also doesn't train vigorously and can't use ki properly for unexplained, though treatable reasons. Augments his physical strength similar to how Vejita does, and is conscious of it.)

Yanagi (35): 45,000

Vasilis (40): 55,000 (like Sedrick)

Baddack (52): 70,000 (can't use energy blasts due to having scientists bond metal into his skeleton and poisoning his system)

**16\. I was reading your chapters that were focusing on Taritsu having trouble with what seems like Satsui no Hadou from Street Fighter, and then you wrote during chapter 19 that he had essentially ascended into a false super saiyan. Can you explain what's the connection here, because it seems too rigged to make sense.**

Interesting observation. Let's see what I wrote down for that specific observation:

_Any bystander would have seen the boy's irises and pupils dilating into white, accompanied by a yellow hue on his skin and hair straightening up slightly skywards. Lastly, a yellow aura seemed to replace the blue aura which both stabilized his physical form and mental faculties, essentially being cast out of control for the inner wrath of his to deal with the battle._

As you could probably tell, he's just given in to his instincts, but instead of becoming feral as one would expect, his saiyan primal mind tapped in to the power that was bothering him at the moment. A few moments later into the chapter, he also gains more control of himself when he transforms, which may go against the behavior one would have as an SSJ. This is the detailed paragraph:

_Taking a running start, Taritsu was neither aware nor concerned with the effects the new power was doing to his physical form. A sanguine aura was developing from the yellow one when he first underwent the massive increase of energy, and unlike his first use, the pupils and irises merely gained a blood-red appearance which complimented his merciless mindset after noticing what the man was trying to do._

It's exactly as I stated where he gains a bit more control as he accepts the effects of the newfound power. You see, how I imagine False Super Saiyan isn't the "failed super saiyan transformation" that lots of other fans like to hand-wave as Toei's inconsistency. Instead, it is on another branch of a saiyan's available forms of transformation- which is why I made the connection with the Satsui no Hadou.

At the moment Goku was feeling worthless and beat during the Lord Slug movie, he was troubled by two things: that he failed and that Earth was going to be destroyed. Now, I believe he didn't feel any emotion that would arise as a need to protect anyone during that moment; Goku- most likely- felt a rage that burned worse than how a saiyan becoming a super saiyan would feel. He felt intense enmity, a scorching emotion that was filled with hatred towards his enemy.

Essentially, he just tapped into the first form of the Satsui no Hadou line.

Even more evidence is how tired he felt after having lost the transformation, since the effects burned him at the cellular level. A similar thing happens when you use Kaioken, and a lot of fans like to say that Kaioken was what prevented Goku from transforming into the Golden Super Saiyan state that we know from the original series. My take on this is that King Kai taught Goku how to tap into the SnH line without giving into the enmity he would normally feel- knowing that if he could control his anger, then perhaps he'd be able to keep himself from taking the "Dark" side.

Additionally, if we also look into the first Broly movie, there's a flash back scene where he has a similar appearance to what Taritsu supposedly looks like after having accepted the False Super Saiyan state (It's the part where he's laughing maniacally while destroying things as a child). It feels safe to assume that he had been born with the ability to tap into both sides of the transformation tree...

Something that most likely had been purposely breeded out of their species out of fear of having to deal with another saiyan apocalypse.

Thus, my story takes the approach of adding False Super Saiyan as part of an entirely different line of a Saiyan's transformation tree, and that is something to be explored throughout the story. Not to mention that Broly's LSSJ state will be explored later on as well, but also keep in mind that some transformations may end up being the result of hybridizing the two opposing forms to become something legendary and fearsome.

_P.S.- I made this connection all on my own, and I haven't seen anyone else make the connection either. That being said, this Headcanon __is mine__._


	25. Chapter 25

**Arc III**

**Chapter 1**

**Motives**

* * *

The year was 1975, a time which a certain five year old girl had been afflicted with family troubles as she had to put up with her father's antics. This girl was none other than the Boruvian princess: Yanagi Kaido, and she had a personal aversion towards what her father was having her do.

'_He's at it again._' She rolled her eyes as her father had puffed at the briar pipe he hid underneath his clothes. Despite being knowledgeable of the health effects and risks, Daisuke Kaido would engage in the habit to calm his nerves—as it was the status quo for him since the day her mother—Hitagi—was sanctioned for her psychosis. She remembered the crazed, dark look in her mother's eyes, seeing her as some sort of threat; Daisuke couldn't explain what had gone wrong with his wife, but learning that she was one of the unfortunate individuals who developed postpartum psychosis was devastating for him. '_Well, at least he had the decency of putting up a front. I wouldn't blame him if he's in a depression..._'

Having caught a glimpse of his daughter's gaze, Daisuke placed the pipe away and recalled the promise he had made to his wife. Yanagi was their only child, and Daisuke was appalled when he had found the two locked up in the room. Had he been ten seconds late, he wouldn't had known what he would be doing now, but the fortunate details of the matter was that he had Johannes to thank for his daughter's life. Giving the girl a weak smile, she scoffed and looked away; it was this ungrateful attitude she had developed since six months ago that worried Daisuke, but he couldn't find it in himself to confront her.

"Why are we here, _otousan_?" She found the barren fields bleak and unworthy, but did happen to catch her eye on animals in the snow. The rabbits were really the only creatures in the area she considered interesting to her at that moment, but knowing her father would scold her for disobedience, remained in his presence.

With a brief scan of the horizon, Daisuke reached for the rim of his fedora and took it off, revealing the collar-length coarse thick hair that she associated as the shade of the night sky. Even if she wouldn't admit it, Yanagi enjoyed her father's caring nature; he was the one who taught her, raised her, and was basically the only man she needed in her life. That fact served both the positive and negative connotations of the meaning: he was an honorable father, but a deplorable and meek man when it came to politics—especially since he gave up a lot of power to avoid an uprising. He was possibly a representation of the world's finest of men, which added onto the fact that she came to dislike people; some would try to cheat her father out, but he was fortunate in trusting the Matsuoka family for their support. In reality, she hated that her father had erected a tower of debt to many who stood by him, so she remained observant of their interactions with him.

"You'll see..." He then turned to greet the arriving company: a man and his son, who were both similar in appearance, but had notable shade differences. The father had blue hair and dulled green eyes from what she could tell, but had a slight fire in them as he led his son along with him. If anything, she liked to accept the feeling of trust she had laying her gaze on the man, but considered it a betrayal of respect she had reserved for her father alone.

In retrospect, she should have known that the boy was a spitting image of his father, with the color scheme of his mother; that fact wasn't known to Yanagi as her father had failed to inform her on that, but she could tell that anything the kid had (disregarding the strong association of features from his father) was directly inherited from his mother. '_I guess his dark hair and amber eyes do make him a bit cute. No, I mustn't be biased on looks and preferences. If he's any worthy, then he'd pass the test._'

"Good afternoon, Greil-san." Daisuke greeted as he had always reserved that respect to his loved ones. Whether Yanagi liked it or not, she had never actually seen him act so confident; there was always this assumption that the man was passive and unwilling, but he proved her wrong with his immediate familiarity. Likewise, it was then that Yanagi was shocked by her father's quick commands that he had whispered towards her as she stepped back when he kneel down to her level. "_Why don't you get associated with Greil's son while I talk business?_"

'_I don't really have a choice..._' She smiled, expecting that perhaps in taking his recommendations, she wouldn't be bored out of her mind. She was never more wrong as the evidence was clear once having stepped aside from her father to get a better look of the kid.

He appeared too... uncertain, like a mouse after being cut off from escape routes. Not only that, but he was also wearing effeminate clothing: the five year old was wearing the family "heirloom" consisting of a white tunic, cloak, and beret. A red ribbon was ornamented around his collar, serving as an indication of sorts that categorized him as a student. Perhaps, she would be fortunate enough to find out if he had at least half a brain on par with hers.

"Hello, I'm Kaido Yanagi. What's your name?"

The boy, who didn't seem much older than her, remained relatively quiet, and seemed to reach out for a oddly familiar brown pelt of his father for reassurance. That was all Yanagi needed to understand that he wasn't redeemable in her eyes, but there was a persisting insistence she recognized from her father's stare; she was to befriend this boy, regardless of what she thought of him.

A quick muttering came from the older male, no doubt speaking to the boy in their native language. It seemed rather strange that he did that, and that her father had no qualms over the usage of such privacy. However, upon hearing the words from his father, the boy felt relieved and gave him the necessary distance as he respected his commands. Still harboring a few worried thoughts of his own, Yanagi could see how troubled he seemed speaking towards her; was he simply mute? Or did he literally have some kind of issue with her?

'_Wait._' Yanagi took a quick glance at what she was wearing, remembering how strange she appeared in the mirror when she decided to wear her outfit. Having worn what could be recognized as leggings, a knee-length skirt, and a dress shirt that had suspenders hold up her skirt, Yanagi would seem like any ordinary five year old girl. Yet, she wore a distraction of what would appear as tights on her arms, serving as sleeves to keep others from finding out what she found as hideous of her own image; the pain still remained whenever her bushy tail rubbed against her waist, and that fearsome look from her mother still flashed in her mind whenever possible. '_Ugh. This kid isn't helping me much. Stop looking at me, insensitive dweeb!_'

"_Eto_, could you please stop—?"

"You don't look very comfortable." He finally spoke after having spent a moment to analyze her appearance. Baffled as to what his priorities were, Yanagi was about to ask what exactly he was getting at, just as the boy found himself a newfound confidence with the situation.

"Those sleeves may look great, but it doesn't fit your style." He spoke with a grand esteem of knowledge on that fact, as if he knew more than any girl on what seemed like a hobby for sissies. However, after looking into his face, searching for any signs of him trying to crack a joke, she resolved herself to punch him, then and there. What he had done was insult her, and that could not be tolerated—regardless of whether or not he was slow. Once she considered that in the evaluating factor of his character, she knew the boy was going to get what he had coming.

"...but I like it. It looks great on you... maybe even cooler by ten-fold!"

"Geh?" She didn't have any reply for that; the boy had quickly disarmed her, as if he had known how to handle girls all his life. He seemed rather confident too, and glad that she ended up blushing at the compliment, leading her to believe that he was really trying to sway her feelings and fall for him. '_Misogynistic idiot. I'll teach you to play with me..._'

"Sorry about not answering you earlier. My _papa_ told me that my name's not easy to pronounce in _Boruvian_, so it took me a while to figure a translation. How about this: Sedorikku, son of Johannes Greil."

'_Ah, a confident type. I guess I can play his game._' Yanagi smirked, having figured that she could have some fun messing around with the boy as he was behaving like the typical male would around a girl he sought to conquest. Now, how she came to know any of this was beyond what he had knowledge of; Sedrick was merely raised to compliment girls—a trait that he had picked up from his father when he would comment on the maids back at the palace, and something he had learned first hand when he overheard Cassava (one of the daughters of the multi-generational families that served the palace) state that all girls liked being treated as delicate or divine treasures.

"So you say...? Sed—rick." Her pronunciation was closer to the western version of his name, which brought the boy to contort into a baffled expression, but nevertheless accepted that she was most likely taught multiple languages. "Hmm? Is something the matter?"

"No, it's just that I assumed that you wouldn't have been taught this early... with so much content."

Sedrick had known a lot from his father himself, and whilst he didn't have a proper education, the stories and facts he had learned made up more than enough for it. In particular, he was fascinated by how his father was serious on foreign matters, making sure to respect the rules and policies of other world leaders, and keeping problems to himself. It seemed secretive and conceited, but Sedrick eventually saw it on the same light as his father had: everyone else would make a big deal on those sensitive issues, and they wouldn't be happy to tolerate recommendations from a 27 year old leader who was engrossed in keeping everyone in the country safe and happy. Then again, it helped knowing the fact that Johannes was trying his best to keep everyone from revolting after what _Motas_ had announced; mass panic would had crippled society, and likely break out into civil wars.

Yanagi frowned at his comment; the answer had basically insulted her knowledge, prompting her to wish that he'd stop talking to her. How dare he assume that she was inept! If anything, she may seem like a girl, and may have little interests in what educational content was provided for her as a five year old, but that did not mean she hadn't ask her father for lectures. It was high time she taught him his place.

"I would have to know," she began smirking as the idea presented itself. "I'm a princess; all world leaders would need to know these sort of things, especially when interacting with others."

She watched closely at the boy, whom she expected to revere her as royalty. Certainly someone as ill-informed as him, who did not catch up on the mood so easily, could at least see that he needed to bow to her. '_That's all he'll ever be: an idiot who can't tell when to stop assuming._' The idea was creepily satisfying to her; having someone like him at her beck and call... it was both fantastic but strange as she never really had thoughts like that before. Perhaps she was longing for a friend, she wouldn't really know for sure.

"_Principessa, eh...?_" He whispered the a word that she barely understood, but had the context of knowing he was thinking about her statement. Yanagi was brought out of her contemplating thoughts, and was subtly satisfied knowing that he was giving the premise of a position—her own attendant—some thought; at least this way he would see that they stood on different social classes.

"...then it's agreed, Greil-san." Daisuke told his mentor's son as they both walked up to pick up their children. Yanagi could see that the two seemed quite relieved that the two weren't having much problems, and especially found that her father was held more himself more aplomb than usual. '_Just what were they talking about?_'

"_Riccardo, venga._"

Sedrick had given his father a give glance, then back at her, and decided on acting upon what he felt was necessary. He knew that it was best to show that he was willing to make the relationship between them purely amiable, and he didn't want her to think him as insensitive, so he bowed to both Yanagi and Daisuke as he had seen his father commit to the formality. Then, before leaving, he presented Yanagi with something he had kept on his outfit: the red ribbon that was tied on his collar.

"It would look better on you than on me," he sheepishly confessed. He then fixed up his outfit, briefly adjusting it as the ribbon was holding together what he was wearing; a certain appendage of his began to wrap around his clothing once more to properly hold it in place—to which Yanagi thought she was hallucinating as the bushy brown tail was present on him.

She was enthralled by the fact he also had that appendage; her mother had cursed her for that, and tried to get rid of it so that she wouldn't bring calamity to the family. Why her father and his so called allies kept theirs was a mystery, but when Yanagi finally found her voice to call him out on that~ he had already gone. "YOU—I-! UGH!"

She glared at her father as he was stifling his laughter.

"What's so funny, _otousan_?"

Finally overcoming his fit of laughter, Daisuke Kaido managed to settle down and tell his daughter—with a straight face—the exact details that made the context amusing. "_Musume_, what you have just been through... is one of many meetings you'll be having with Riccardo Rutabaski." He said, ending his explanation with no honorifics as it was normally the formality—regardless if they were present in the area or not.

It was then that her eyes widened at the epiphany. '_I can't believe this..._' Her thoughts were being drawn towards the small gift he left with her; perhaps he did deserve a second chance... not that she'd ever tell him that she'd give him one. However, it was best not to anger someone her father had as an ally. "Fine. But don't expect me to act all friendly with him..."

* * *

"...Mom?"

The voice of her son pulled her out of her daze. Truth of the matter was, Yanagi had never really seen herself making it this far in life; a responsible husband, three wonderful children, and a career. What woman would like to ask for more, especially when she considered herself lucky to have retained her health.

"Yana... are you all right?." Sedrick began once more, gently coaxing her into speaking her mind. They had made it through the corridors—searching for signs of the creatures—and ended up finding themselves before the unconscious form of Baddack. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Taritsu had instantly joined his uncle's side to assist him; that action alone was risky—even when Sedrick had evaluated the boy being more than capable of defending himself in a fight—but both the older males had assumed that Yanagi was taking the possibility literally plausible. "You've been awfully quiet as of lately."

She observed her family carefully, then mentally sighed while remembering how both the father and son got along like close friends. '_He's obviously like his father,_' she referred to the kindness that Sedrick had while interacting with others, trying to look past their faults and befriend them whenever he had a chance. To that same degree, she disliked the stubborn attitude she had as a young girl; never giving much thought to anyone after categorizing them, and ultimately ending up making several enemies. '_...Yet, why do I have the feeling that he'll end up broken?_'

"Hey? Yana!" Sedrick left his son's side, coming to consult his wife in her brief bout of sadness. He knew the woman was strong—comparably, she was emotionally stronger than anyone he knew—but there was only so much that Yanagi could bottle. This was also part of the reason Sedrick had formed the strong bond between himself and their son; allowing Taritsu to vent out his frustrations was the best method to keep him mentally focused—even if it meant having to listen to hours of his technobabble.

Placing his hands on her cheeks, he wiped the tears away from her, maintaining her natural beauty as she would usually disregard her self-esteem in bouts like these. "It's going to be okay. You can tell me what's wrong, Yana; please don't leave me in the dark with these things."

Feeling out of place with the couple focusing on their relationship, Baddack decided seeing what his nephew was thinking about. The pensive look on his face as he saw his mother tear up from some unspoken fact... Taritsu was literally overwhelmed by the vast quantities of possible causes. He had to do something about that, just as he also sought to do something about getting out safely.

"Hey, uh... Taritsu." Baddack wouldn't lie: he literally didn't want to make it sound like he approved of the matter. However seeing how Sedrick was taking care of Yanagi, and the same concern being present in the boy—well, it just made it harder for him to turn the kid down. '_I guess it'd be better him than some bastard prick._' "Would you mind... doing me a favor. I'm quite certain your mother has also had it on her mind as well."

Hearing that last sentence, the boy immediately responded positively, nodding slowly but surely as he took note of the quiet gaze from his parents. His father was currently whispering reassuring thoughts into her ear, and she seemed to have calmed down well enough to visibly approve of him accepting his uncle's request.

"I know this may seem a bit unorthodox, but please... whatever happens, do not—_and I can't stress this enough_—break someone's heart. Do you understand, kid?"

Taritsu literally couldn't fathom what his uncle was implying; first his mother stated that he mustn't associate himself with Charlotte at a romantic level, which he found difficult as it was commonly known to him that girls would dream of such things. Charlotte was likely no different, and Taritsu knew that; he was awry of how he interacted with other females whenever the possibility of Charlotte finding out existed, especially since lately the urge to take a woman for his own was beating down on him. That was the second obstacle: he was afraid of what he would do to his friend, especially since he cohabited rooms with her.

'_So now, not only does mom condemn me from asking Charlotte and getting over with it, I also have to worry about hurting everyone's feelings, while also keeping myself from forcing my urges on them?_' He cursed his life, knowing that there wouldn't be an easy way out of it. Unless...

Yanagi didn't argue with Baddack at all. She found his request a fine and noble cause; overcoming the obstacles that it presented would strengthen her son's character, and no doubt lead him to appreciate the feelings of others before shooting them down like nuisances. Not only was it necessary for him to learn it for his own sake, but the task he was to complete later required that he be knowledgeable of people's feelings; such was the reason why Yanagi, Catalina, and Clarinda all came to the agreement several days prior.

"Pay well attention to what your uncle is telling you, son." She finally spoke up, finding the strength to inform what she was keeping from him. Yanagi wasn't one to advocate lying, but it was an essential tool she exploited to get Taritsu from ignoring her commands. He may have been a Rutabaski, but even Sedrick still had a choice in falling in love with her: he just grew to enjoy the feeling of standing by her side; not to mention that time that demanded he take responsibility for her, and well...

"...Just, don't... shut yourself off from others. They need you, and you need them—whether you know it or not."

Noting how they were agreeing with her, Taritsu left his mother be and simply accepted her wishes. He would figure out what they meant—especially since the new request was contradictory with what his mother had asked for him days earlier. Hell, if he were to follow all of their commands, he wouldn't understand how it would even be possible to choose a spouse.

Without much of a warning, Taritsu heard the soothing voice of his inhabitant speak up, encouraging him to seek out what secrets his mother and father had hidden away. "_You should ask them now. What really happened in 1990... she seems haunted by it... and it's likely she doesn't want it to repeat with you._"

"Hey," Taritsu began with aplomb. He was never as demanding as he currently was with his parents before, but the boy was set on the idea the second consciousness was suggesting. It was just nerve-racking to impose on sensitive topics like that of which he had read in his father's letter. "I seriously want to ask you something, and I don't want to rub you guys the wrong way..."

* * *

It took a while, but Alberto and his team were able to lead everyone out of the building safely.

"Mr. Sparks, would you mind informing our viewers home what is happening inside the building?"

Luke was the one to interject as Alberto was busy analyzing what he needed to do with the new predicament. Since the audience was freed, he wouldn't have to worry about any of them getting caught in the crossfire. Additionally, both Amanda and Vincent were tracking down what those creatures were doing, and checking for any stragglers. His younger brother, however, was disappointed with what he had done.

"Hey, Tony. What's wrong little brother?"

He saw as the kid was fiddling with an EMP device, to which he had created in response to the suited terrorist. It wasn't the best, but the components it was using was strong enough to fry electronics within a 5 meter radius.

'_Great thing I outfitted the armor with resistance. Wouldn't want to be left inside a metal tomb._'

"Wasn't that kid with you as well? The blue haired boy?"

Scoffing, Anthony finally replied what was on his mind, understanding that Alberto would react as needed. "Yeah, the speedster."

'_Hold on. Then that means Rutabaski went after the enemies!_' "You wait here. I've got something dire to do." He stated and turned to leave for the building. Now left without any supervision, Anthony eyed the other three of his team and began to contemplate what they could all do. A smirk replaced his disapproving scowl as he took notice of the Sagratian military personnel informing the president of the classified details. He had without a doubt that they would end up being responsible for some controversial matter—to which they will deny having any ties in it, despite the fact that the androids were under the government's jurisdiction. Either way, it would end up being a problem for everyone sooner or later.

'_Not unless I do something about it first._'

* * *

"So this is the individual Johnstonii wanted to off? Hmph, I really don't understand why he's particularly afraid of someone like him."

A cold voice cut through their suit's inbuilt communicator, bringing the two to pay heed to the speaker. None other than their employer, Arlo Johnstonii, they both stood paralyzed as he began lecturing them on efficiency... which eventually transitioned to answering the cocky individual who accompanied Adrian. "That's because you haven't seen his capabilities, Artemis."

Wearing what seemed like a grey sweater-like shirt with tannish pants and brown shoes, the man who would usually never be found without his uniform had decided on overseeing them at the same moment he was evaluating projects with his better agents—who were stationed at various cities around the world. That, and the secondary reason was pertaining to the information on the subjects his underlings were able to subdue. Taking a look at their handiwork, Johnstonii felt relieved with their progress, then took a double take as he noticed one of their chosen victims was the very same man who had been in that warehouse four years ago.

'_It's like these pests keep crawling out of crevices._' He knew that the man was bad news, but he recalled the information the colony had on scouting for potential subjects. Their census data had stated that a large density of subjects with the attributes he was asking for existed mainly around the north-eastern hemisphere. The areas surrounding a province called Jakarta were primary hot spots, but apparently Boruvian isles harbored some as well. Either way, he needed to make sure the two wouldn't fail him.

"If you must know, the reason I am so awry of that brat is due to the overwhelming challenges he presents. Not only is he physically superior to the vast majority on the planet, but his mental capacity... it is on par—if not superior—to an Alpha Double Plus. Granted, he is just a "boy" by the native's standards, but he is a threat that I wish to eliminate now."

At this, the rebel known as Adrian saw it as the perfect opportunity to voice the Anti-Arlo plan that was brewing. "I'd like to point out an alternative... master." Adrian ended up using that disgusting term that would appease the man. "Instead of killing the boy, or taking these prisoners, wouldn't it benefit you if he could provide the Tsufuru-jins with technological advances?"

Arlo didn't know where exactly the slave was getting at. For what he was hearing, Adrian was suggesting he forget getting the boy out of the way, and risk having his position taken away. How could he agree to something that stupid in the first place! '_Hmm, but the Eudoran does raise a valid point. Technologically benefiting from someone of his caliber increases my odds of the colony's approval ratings, and it does much to learn from his own being._'

Seeing Artemis going for the remote panel on his arm, Arlo immediately locked his suit up in safe mode; it wouldn't do any good if he'd harm Adrian, especially since he'd rather sacrifice the kid on something crucial, rather than taking the life of a lowly subject because of unfavorable ideas. Seeing the words on the screen of his mask was all that Artemis needed to understand that he had forgotten one of the colony's well-regarded policies. It was entirely taboo... the action he was incredibly close to committing. '_That's right. If I kill a test subject, then the consequences are dire for me._'

Taking a look around his environment so as to keep the conversation a secret from everyone else, Arlo began voicing his concerns with the proposition Adrian had suggested. "You propose a dangerous game, lapdog... but in taking your route, what would you expect to do with these two... donations? It isn't as if you would easily be accepted as an ally by the enemy. Besides, the Cultivars have yet to retrieve an energy source, so the mission would be botched. Ergo, we can't take our chances, lapdog."

Swallowing the hatred as he stated the term twice now, Adrian mentally constructed another plan, this time to build a initial relationship on trust with the Rutabaski brat that was responsible for Johnstonii's ire. Knowing that he would immediately discard his underlings of the least worth within moments of being used, the rebel had to resort with a trump card that was highly risky to the overall progress which had yet to be enacted. '_No matter. I can modify it to my whim and work from there. I just hope Arlo doesn't catch on, deciding to kill us both though._'

"Look, if you send me as a mole—an insider to gain information—then it would most likely place me in a position that can supply you with_ EVERYTHING_ you need to know. However, the best way possible to do that... is for me to gain his trust. That means I have to "save" the templates from the "enemy", and I believe I know just how to do it." The emptied mechanical suit that Kojiro had been using was the best option Adrian had for an immediate and controlled event; it would be enough to convince him of the danger, while also avoiding any actual escalated risks.

Arlo, however, didn't look like he would buy the proposal. In fact, he seemed more likely to actually punish Adrian for the conniving explanation. '_Come on, you have to at least see that this is the least risky way! It's not like he'll immediately connect my backstory with yours_—_let alone the colony._'

"Wait, there's also a possibility that I could get him to work on the project pertaining of himself. I mean, he is the original template, and the files did say that he's unique out of everyone on the planet so far; it's entirely possible that the Rutabaski primogeniture would want to discover the exact properties of his physiology, you know? You have to see me eye to eye on this."

* * *

Learning about his mother's history was not something Taritsu would have done on a whim, but he had asked for the facts were being too demanding on him. He had always believed that his mother wasn't at fault: that it was of pure circumstance that made her do that, but having second thoughts about the situation was... outright betrayal to her! The woman who had cared for her family—she was still much the same—but the revelation of her past made even Baddack shiver.

"Do you... hate me now, son?" She said in a solemn voice, expecting to hear that her son would disown her. Yanagi had always had this fear; it was always playing in her mind, and while she would try to explain it to him in a manner that wouldn't be as devastating, her son would always react much less the same. She saw the proceedings of his behavior that she had simulated: he'd first remain blank, then unresponsive as his head would slightly shift towards the floor—covering his eyes so that she wouldn't see the emotions flickering in his eyes.

This was all too eerily similar to what she remembered experiencing with her own mother, when she had psychotically determined her as a bad person. It was illogical, really; to think that she was tainted for something that seemed fated. Was she really an unforgivable person in the eyes of the majority, when in fact, Sedrick and Vasilis had done what he could to keep it from public knowledge? Now she feared her son calling her out for having sealed his fate alongside hers. '_My mother was right about me. I'm an evil child, and a bad mother._'

They silently awaited for the boy to respond, but he seemed to be quivering from the news. That wasn't unexpected, especially since it was the boy's high appreciation of his own mother that was being challenged by the revelation. He might even go on to state that she tainted him—that her actions had predestined his future before conception. They wouldn't find out so easily.

Not while he laughed nervously, anyway.

'_Poor kid._' Baddack didn't want to say anything that was going to ruin the mood, but he also felt the need to sooth him. It wasn't his instinct to do so, but he understood what he was going through; he himself had remorse for all his deeds, and not once did he have anyone besides his wife forgive him. Then again, it was thanks to the influence of his childhood alleged caretaker that conditioned him to accept the actions as an absolute necessity. He would never forgive that man, just as he would never forgive his own father.

However, the entirety of Taritsu's thoughts weren't about vowing to curse his mother. He was cursing himself, and for an intense reason too. As she had revealed to him the specifics, he had an ever increasing want to enact revenge. '_But mother has already done so..._' He took a look at his own hands, feeling the burning feeling that usually accompanied the transformation. The intensity of his rage was fueling a primal desire to act upon the instinct, and unlike what he had known or experienced before... he actually liked the idea of doing that. Except, both his inhabitant and his loved ones were insisting that he'd listen carefully to whatever his conscience was telling him at the moment.

'_W-Wha-What the hell am I thinking?_' He threw his fist into the wall, wishing to draw out blood as punishment for his dark thoughts. In exchange for learning what that man was trying to do to his parents fifteen years ago, his instincts had drawn upon a preservation mechanism that wished to aid his mother. However, said mechanism was promoting the idea of an immoral action—far more than the immoral action his mother had done that resulted in losing her virtue to save his father.

"Kyousuke?!" Yanagi reached out to him, only to end up having Baddack slap her hand away. Both mother and son were awestruck by what had happened, but Taritsu was far more affected by his behavior than she was.

Hearing what was likely the sound of someone yelling in fear, both Taritsu's and Baddack's instinctive behavior became apparent to them as they began moving in said direction. It wasn't that he was rude to the woman that he had intervened in such a controversial manner; he had noticed how the boy was becoming a bit more aggressive, and it was intensely frightening to see him baring his canine teeth—even if slightly. Seeing the subtle aura of the boy transitioning to that bloody sanguine shade helped as well, but he wasn't certain if the mother had noticed it at all.

As they followed pursuit, Baddack began to take his time, slowing down to their pace as he saw it as the only time to inform the mother of what he was awry of. Pointing towards the boy's backside, Yanagi soon discovered that what Baddack was revealing to her was none other than a certain fear she had wished hadn't returned.

"When did this happened?" She practically screeched.

What Yanagi had known about the tail was purely grave news. As a child, her mother had once tried to forcibly remove it from her—with good intentions too—but had almost ended up snuffing her life. It was later revealed that Hitagi, her mother, had anticipated a sort of mating process that she had understood involved the tail, and found out the hard way what the appendage could do. Whether or not she was capable of behaving violently because of it was unknown, but what was known to her was that she ended up removing her tail out of fear; she never wanted to allow the survival instincts to be influenced by the glands, and neither did she want to suffer from another pheromone cloud attracting unwanted mates.

"KEKEEEEE!" One of the Cultivars had snuck around the boy, working with its brethren to ambush him as he neared their master's location. Still under the effects of his instinctive behavior, Taritsu had a passing thought about ripping clean through the creatures' torsos, but immediately went for the mechanical web shooter he had harnessed on his wrist. It was done without consciously being aware of aiming at the targets, and such a feat soon became a concern as the adults saw the boy choke on his blood.

Vision impaired, Taritsu utilized a string of web to keep himself from passing out cold—suspending himself with the wall to awaken him with the shock of jolting from having prevented the fall. Kicking his senses back into his control, the boy took a look around to see the three Cultivars all detained. '_Wow. I did good by placing ammonium by the spinnerets of the web shooters. These things are pretty easy to contain with the instant freeze their chemical makeup causes due to the reaction._'

"Kyousuke, what's going on?"

He wanted to reject that term that his mother had used, but Taritsu had no complaints as he knew doing so wouldn't help at any level.

"No, keep away!"

The entirety of the group turned to see a duo trying to escape the advancing threat that threatened them. Baddack, however, was entirely concerned by the unconscious forms of Jack and Kojiro, and seeing how his nephew would not approve of leaving someone helpless, gave Sedrick a mutual silent look that conveyed his message.

Instantly flaring his rage, Baddack had launched forward in a brutal attempt to plunge his claws into the machine while it was distracted. It had almost made a successful slice; the metallic arm the silver suit had prevented him from reaching any further as he wasn't giving it his all that time. He wasn't so sure if anyone was inside the suit, but if they were, Sedrick would berate him if he ended up killing the individual; they had just finished confessing about committing a moral crime recently!

'_Huh? So nothing's in in. Weird..._' He gave Sedrick the signal, to which the younger man took the initiative to carry the two bystanders out of danger. However, as Adrian had programmed the suit to only handle one target at a time, the computer's defensive system had overridden it's faux programming and suddenly reacted in the anticipated reactive manner by evaluating the two.

Being smacked out of its range, both Baddack and Sedrick found themselves hanging onto the ledge of the floor—being entirely thankful for Baddack's organic claws having struck deep into the cement. "_GHAAAAAH_!"

"Don't look down, idiot."

"Where else would you expect me to, Badda?" Sedrick had contemplated swinging into the floor below where they hanged, but ended up regretting the decision as he saw for himself what a fall from 90 stories would be. There was no way he could possibly survive that—especially since the only thing keeping them from such a fate was Baddack's claws. Even so, that wouldn't last very long as the cement was giving way under the older man's artificial weight.

Seeing as the silver suit was most likely going to harm the two, Yanagi immediately went for the projectile steel balls that Sedrick would carry around on him and focused her aim. Taking the shot, she released what the computer had registered as an intense velocity of mach six—more than enough to seriously break its protective casing and chassis support. Thrice even!

Within the blink of an eye, the scene went from the machine facing the threat of a steel ball propelling at an insane velocity, and Yanagi keeping a determined expression of protecting the innocent victims, to one of dismay. Seeing his mother having been knocked into the wall and violently coughing up blood from the impact, Taritsu immediately became alert and picked himself back up to face the one responsible. He wasn't going to allow himself to be hindered by his injuries, nor was he going to hold back on destroying a mechanical suit just because someone would seriously face a fatality. He just couldn't standby and let someone get away with it.

'_Hehe... Hehahaha..._' It was then that his senses had finally discovered that the suit was currently autonomous, being controlled by someone remotely—which further added to his primal anger. Since he was overtaken by the intensity of his rage, Taritsu's power level was picked up by the computer, skyrocketing the gauge from his typical average level into one that was perhaps 3400% stronger. Soon, the violent aura became apparent to both Adrian and Artemis as his threat level had increased by six levels—as indicated by Artemis' disguised portable computer. '_What the!?_'

The boy was relentless in his actions, continuously delivering thousands of blows as he was focused on annihilating his enemy. A blood lust which he had repressed over the years was finally being tapped into, and without having to worry about harming anyone else, began scrapping the suit. Piece by piece, the sound of metal ripping apart audibly screeched into the ears of Baddack, who had to cover up his ears to protect himself from the pain.

"No! Baddack! Don't let go!"

Irregardless, the action was inevitable, and Baddack couldn't tolerate the agitation any longer. By releasing his grip on the ledge, he felt the wind combing through his hair as the free fall was to be expected. There was no exceptions to the laws of gravity.

And yet, the wind suddenly stopped flowing—shocking the two males as they had closed their eyes to ease their psychological fear.

'_H-How?_'

"Looks like I got here just in time." Began the well known voice—owned by none other than the world renown multi-billionaire: Alberto Sparks. Noticing that the younger male was clinging onto the older one like a scared cat, Alberto couldn't help but poke fun of whom he respected as a world leader. Then again, that comment was withheld as he considered the fact that Sedrick didn't have the means to survive falling... or propel himself in the air.

Hearing the cacophony of Taritsu's savagery, Alberto immediately considered taking the two away to safety, but found that his passengers were insistent on returning back to battle. It was a strange request—as well as irrational—but he complied as denying their wishes was, to a degree, doing wrong onto his little brother's comrade. Seeing how close Baddack's claws were to peircing his suit also contributed to his decision, especially since Kurzgesagt had already ran the numbers on the likelihood of being skewered... which was apparently virtually absolute—even after having informed him that the man was being patient! '_Yeah, if this is him being patient, then I wouldn't want to be this guy's bad side._'

Entering the floor once again, Baddack and Sedrick had immediately thanked their pilot for the assistance, then proceeded to tend to their prioritized interests. Without a doubt, Sedrick had gone to check on Yanagi—as any good friend would had—which left Baddack cleared from guilt as he bolted passed the motionless standing form of his friend's son.

That boy was tough, as Baddack had come to know personally for a fact. Additionally, he hadn't doubted the kid's success as he had stripped the automated machine down to the bare parts, which was way more than what he would had done to it in the first place. Feeling a bit of pride with the boy's handiwork and responsibility, Baddack reached down to assist the stirring, unconscious form of his comrade—with Kojiro being slightly ignored as he was already attending to his wounds that had done him in earlier.

'_This guy had set up a trap,_' Baddack had suddenly found himself contemplating the various methods of punishing Kojiro for the near-death experienced they had to deal with. His ire was getting the better of him subconsciously, which made the damage he was dealing on Jack almost end up being unnoticed until he saw one of his greatest fears begin.

"Taritsu!" Baddack's anger subsided as he dropped Jack, running over to keep the boy from succumbing to the after effects of the ability. He was bleeding profusely from his mouth, leaking pints of blood at an alarming rate and blacking out from the pain of being burned at the cellular level. No more was he able to keep himself conscious, and the worst of it was that he was stubbornly refusing to give in to his body's requirement to rest.

That soon began to dissipate as his inhabitant began speaking towards him in a calming voice—realizing that the boy was being irrational. In addition to what he was telling Taritsu, he became aware of a soothing light; a light which the inhabitant found overbearing and restrictive.

'_This isn't possible. No, no, this can't be happening at a crucial time like this. He still needs me; he's still in danger. Taritsu's afflicted by_—' He soon noticed that his host was reacting to that exposure in a secondary manner. One which brought the inhabitant peace of mind, and quite pleased to be relieved of the worries he had for the boy's life. However, it wasn't entirely sure how he could manage without any assistance, so with what little time it possibly had left, it began by leaving him a message.

"_Uncle..._" He began voicing for the boy, making sure that the man would be able to remind him later on. "_Don't worry so much about my biology. Just worry if my metaphysical health... my energy... returns to that terrifying state of violence._"

Taking notice of how Alberto and Sedrick had noticed the sound as well, Baddack found himself surrounded by the squadron of terminators. Having traced back the energy sources that correlated with the Cultivars, their system had believed that the last of the threats had been eliminated. Something which Baddack had felt a bit relieved when he noticed a few of them doing as they got rid of the immobilized trio that had ambushed the boy earlier. If anything, whoever had programmed them had done a great job keeping the units from engaging against civilians.

A darn good job, unfortunately.

* * *

"...and you are certain that it finally risen?"

"No mistake, J-Johnstonii. It's reacted to something, but we're unsure."

The Tsufuru-jins had never been able to actually draw the attention of the pyrastrenean clone that they had stolen years ago. The fact of the matter was, the clone was taken from one of the facilities up near the arctic circle, where the government had apparently considered the safest area to store their experimental project—utilizing the harsh elements as a natural defense, and the only defense against trespassers. A grave mistake when considering that the Tsufuru-jins had already settled in the Antarctic.

"Has Saccha Romyces been informed?"

Saccha was one of the colony's patients, considered terminally ill as she had the cerebral super virus dormant in her. They had anticipated that she would only live for an additional six months, but that was suddenly challenged and dealt with as Johnstonii personally had warranted a search for viable test subjects who were still in development. Granted, they didn't have the resources, nor genetic diversity to create a proper subject to experiment a cure to combat the virus, so Johnstonii's teams ended up abducting a bunch of Eudorans that lived in the southern continents. One of them happened to be a pair of scientists, who had been studying some form of muscle development program, figuring that they could cure natural diseases with the body's natural capability to recover from ailments.

It was a noble pursuit, but Johnstonii was primarily concerned with the fate of Saccha, and he honestly didn't care about what they were speaking about by grievances that revolved around the fact that they were being undernourished. That ended up being ignored until Janis had found out about the neglect of fellow scientists—claiming that even if they were foreigners, having left them to die was a serious offense to the policies of the ones before.

At either claim, the only thing that matter to Johnstonii was Saccha's recovery; the fact that she was the Scientist Supreme's niece probably meant that she had priority to a cure, but no one was going to call Arlo out on his ethics. Not while he was responsible for a majority of the colony's progress at the moment.

'_Julian has been rather quiet lately. I haven't actually seen him around for some time; he should be informed immediately._'

"No, but we are currently having a few problems with the clone."

Regardless of what the pyrastrenean government was going to do with the specimen, Arlo Johnstonii's team was also able to figure out that the clone was capable of being used as a cure for chronic diseases. It was apparently the original intention by the head scientist—Dr Azerbaijani—as he was working on the clone from a DNA sample of an unregistered individual. Even so, due to the fact that the doctor had to include genes from various other sources to prevent degeneration, the government had figured that the specimen had been created with the intention of evolving their species into a new era of achievements. Arlo found such petty desires to bring the species a step closer to a warrior society detestable, but found himself appreciating Dr Azerbaijani for his intentions.

"I see..." He wondered if it was part due to the fact that the clone was being given subliminal messages while it was dormant that caused some of those problems; if it were, he would seriously end up gutting the next person who got on his nerves. '_Better remember to not let their vitals go to waste..._' "...but if it's awake, can we begin developing the cure at all?"

Scampering to consult with his associates on the matter, the respondent that spoke with Johnstonii eventually returned with an answer. One which brought the man relief. "Yes... but we still need an energy source." '_Not to mention the fact we have to subdue the clone from charging at us._' "You can rest assure that we won't let Julian down, Arlo."

* * *

Vejita found it incredibly annoying that he had to follow the kid back into the building. However, he had little to argue about as they were currently closing in on the location of terminator squadron, thanks to the assistance from Vincent and Amanda, whom they happened to run into as they had finished cleaning up most of the floors that were infested.

His only problem was having allowed Kakarotto join them, but the kid was just as insistent in being there that Vejita had no choice in rejecting. '_If anything happens to Kakarotto..._' He didn't want to think about it. All he needed to know was the slasher smile the father used to wield whenever he released his claws; there really was no way to appease someone like that once they were pissed off.

"A fair warning: we're currently nearing the top floors, and readings indicate that something powerful has just been wrecking havoc. It's not like the weaker signatures that we had on those creatures, but the radiation traces are similar."

Vincent then cut in on Amanda's report. "All the more to stay clear of those androids." He said, just as the door was swung ajar to reveal the squadron having surrounded something.

From what they could see, Sedrick and his wife were ignored by the terminators—which was fortunate. The only issues were the fact that Yanagi was non-responsive, and Sedrick wasn't dealing too well with the predicament at the moment. On the far side of the squadron was the familiar red-and-silver suit of Alberto Spark's project X9500: a suit wrapped in mesh steel cable mail, finished with plating pieces that provided a defensive buffer physical attacks and radiation. Sparks was preoccupied managing the two bystanders, but Vejita wasn't interested in them.

The last of their worries was the two males on the parallel side of Alberto, both whom were already consulting with one another in what to do in their current predicament. However, the strangest part of what that situation was the fact that Vejita recognized one of them as politician Jack Chandler; exactly what he was doing here was a question for another time, but it seemed that the man was highly aware of the fact that the trouble was with who ever was being surrounded by the squadron.

{**_The younger being does not appear on the records, but he shows signs of a chronic disease. Conclusion: bring him to medical attention._**}

As the T-70s were obeying the T-101's directive, Baddack grew malignant as to what they had intended for Taritsu. Seeing himself surrounded by those cold, lifeless mechanical drones reminded him of his own terrors. He never wanted to speak of the horrible things that he had undergone—especially since the faction he was working for had acted without his consent; he could still remember how those scientists had repeated the words over and over, making it seem like a nightmarish recording that he couldn't escape from. It was too dark for him to reflect on that, and his life had almost turned for the worse after the procedure.

'_All that they cared about when they did that to me was to provide a means to defend myself against the hermit. I won't let them use him like they did me!_' He could recall how they ended up dumping him in the cold, mountainous terrain, demanding that he'd run the mission to kill that old man who had been conducting experiments for the enemy. It was a truly risky mission too; most of the operatives that they had originally sent were either killed or gone missing. The only lead they had was the name of a fabled man, a strider assassin known simply as "_Ritsu Hiryu_".

{**_The older being shows hostility. Abort the current process and standby._**} It was not apparent to the T-101 why Baddack was an outlier in the data. It simply concluded that the boy had not infected him yet, but there was clear signs of blood—other than his own—that coated Baddack's skin. More than likely, he should have been showing some signs of the disease, but it seemed that he was still capable of engaging in battle.

In the instant that Taritsu had fallen back into nonconsciousness, the squadron determined it as the best opportunity to act since Baddack was distracted. Likewise, this was a dire mistake, especially since the T-101 unit was incapable of foreseeing that the boy's physiological change took place during that time, and Anthony had taken notice of their advancement, before either Vincent, Amanda, or his brother could do anything about it.

Though Taritsu was definitely without conscious thought at that moment, his senses—and instincts—weren't. With the help of Anthony setting off his electromagnetic pulse device, he grabbed onto the shoulders of the closest unit in the area, taking care of the androids with relatively little effort. The fact that he was capable of doing that surprised Baddack.

But what was the most surprising of all, was that the message he had given him earlier told him to not fear any physical changes he would undergo. '_Just what did he mean by tha_—_?_'

Having noticed the boy's tail flickering in erratic intervals, there was no doubt in the man's mind as he saw the boy's canine teeth elongated. The tips of his fingers had also done the same. Finally, his blue hair color that reflected his passive personality converted into dark phthalocyanine blue, completing what appeared like the bestial form which he had long ago tried to resist.

{**_The virus, it is spreading around at hasten speeds, working with the metabolic process of the victim._**} The T-101 had no idea that Taritsu's physiology was distinctly different from all others. In fact, it believed that he was being overwhelmed by the virus; so much that it concluded that he must be eliminated before becoming an actual threat as an infectant. _{**Risk factor has just jumped by a factor of six. He is acting by the compulsions the disease must be influencing.**_}

Growling under his breath, Taritsu began exhibiting behavior that Charlotte had recognized before; it was just that at the moment, he didn't appear as he had the other time he had undergone the transformation.

This time, without anything prompting him to behave violently, without anything compelling him to attack, Taritsu was fully engaged with his primal instincts for survival; it meant a dangerous thing to those who weren't as familiar as Charlotte was; especially since the very instance he had finally gotten rid of the androids, he took a few sniffs in the room to seek for any more like it, even closing in on Alberto Sparks as he wore his suit.

Fortunately for him, his mind was still able to comprehend the difference between ally and enemy, so he gave up on Alberto as he took notice of everyone else in the room. Eventually, he laid eyes on his mother and father, then began shifting his gaze from them and the two bystanders Alberto had attended. He ended up determining a certain familiarity from one of the strangers, causing him to remain in an unexplainable daze, just before turning towards the last of the terminator squadron.

Even with his hyper senses, whoever manufactured the prototype was incredibly capable; Taritsu couldn't differentiate its cybernetic parts with the organics, causing him to perceive the T-101 as just an augmented individual. Finally, he turned about to take notice of his uncle—who had on him still the fresh blood that he had coughed in his bout of pain—and after sniffing the blood, found the properties of it revolting.

With that done, his primitive mind had concluded that something must be done to cleanse all that was like it. Exact or similar, this was all that he needed to decide on taking action for what was a fearsome action. '_Purge... I must purge all threats..._'


	26. Chapter 26

**Arc III**

**Chapter 2**

**Fire and Ice  
**

* * *

Landing from her instantaneous movement, Shizuka checked her surroundings for any witnesses as she had no time to appear in her office. It was currently crowded in there, and the woman didn't want to be disturbed, much less get caught because of her suspicious behavior.

'_I didn't think it was even possible._' She had known that the boy was incredibly gifted, godlike even. Yet, that was when his powers were active; that encompassing white light that enveloped the boy was to prevent his illness from accelerating with the use of his malicious hadou energy.

'_Normally, malicious hadou and Hagio-sendo don't bode well with each other. True, the power gained is tremendous, but its exhausting and lethal to the user. I wanted to save him from dying, and I almost killed him in the process, and yet..._' She recalled the action of his subconscious working in tandem, defeating the androids that were trying to harm him. Though she had placed a block on his abilities to protect him from a greater threat, and she hadn't anticipated how easily he could had been killed; it was fortunate that he was still able to use his biological abilities, even though she had feared using the pendant would handicap him.

"_Lady Velarde,_" She jumped up, startled, as a familiar voice called for her. It was filled with greater wisdom and concern that she had herself attained, but it was likely not because he simply experienced existence longer than she had. An apparition in her mind's eye showed a man in a pristine sleeveless uniform of the assassin's robes he wore during his time alive. She knew this man hated being associated with the faction during his time, but it gradually became an accepted history of his which he choose to wear as a reminder of the many vile acts which the others committed from blind flocking.

"Columbus" He visibly showed her the name was an irritant in his ears. Simply because he was a nomadic hermit after his retirement didn't justify the nickname that his elders gave him. Besides, he came to appreciate the woman referring to him by what his superior had dubbed as his honorable name. "Columba, I mean. What brings you here?"

Taking a moment to observe the area, he noted how different Eudora had ended up after 600 years; living in a technologically amoral society wasn't something he wanted for the future of the others, and given that his sister had succumb to madness simply because the faction wasn't living up to their predecessor's good name... Columba didn't mind destroying technology around the world to end that civil war.

"You still wonder about Mariya, don't you?"

"_My sister... she would have loved to live in a peaceful environment such as this. The political matters are one thing that we can not change; people are petty and succumb to power. They lust for it, lose their minds to it. Control, ironically, is both what they seek and what they lack. But..._"

Shizuka wondered what the wiser man was thinking. Since she came to awareness thanks to her father collaborating with his sister, the woman had came to understand many things, and yet Columba's stoic observance wasn't something she could easily interpret. Sometimes she felt that he was meant to be her father, but it appeared to her understanding that everyone which had her father's powers bestowed to them were simply a reflection of his true self. Perhaps Columba was the reflection of Kuukanos' grief for the mortals; he certainly tried to be a pacifist after being forced to mercy kill his own sister.

"_...my relatives, especially Suzaku, have the potential to change this world._"

She gave him a moment of silence, letting the laced tone of optimism in his words soak in. It was rare for him to speak as such, and even more so for him to contact her. Why did he contact her?

"_You cut off access to his abilities didn't you. With the Pendant of Sages..._"

"It was necessary~."

"_You know I didn't have any problems with you taking the boy from his time and sending him back to aid Suzaku. I don't mind that you were acting against your father's wishes; you wish to change fate, to ensure that your predictions don't actually happen._"

"I don't want him to die, Columba! I love my father with all my heart, and he doesn't understand."

"_Fate of the mortals and Fate of the Immortals are two distinct concepts. We can, perhaps, affect and alter the fates of mortals, but an immortal_—_no, Eternal... their fates cannot change._" His insight of the reality of the situation kept her from making a scene. What he spoke of was the fact that neither Eternal Being—Kuukanos nor his sister Jikanna—knew about their absolute future, because they existed outside of the semi-malleable multiverse. Yet when Velarde was born, she had an innate rare gift to see the future of an Eternal Being, and it scarred her when she kept having flashes of her father dying.

Columba continued explaining the situation, however. "..._So you changed Suzaku's fate. I applaud you._"

She showed an appalled expression, wondering what exactly the philosopher was talking about. He chuckled at her childish tendencies, despite having made a symbiotic bond with an adult mortal. If she were to explain that action's equivalent, it would be as the tender stroking of a parent placing their hand on the precious child.

"_He was being tracked by his beacon of malicious hadou, hounded by the successor of that vile corrupter, and no doubt would have directly caused Kuukanos a great devastation. I can't exactly pin point his location_—_very likely the threat isn't even from his dimension. Nor can I identify the current appearance of this threat, but you camouflaged the boy with your abilities. A shame it was a bit too late, now that his illness has burned out his natural physical health, and it doesn't bode well for him since you limited his access to ki at a bare minimum. Then there's the matter of the camouflage ritual required which prevents him from gaining access to that descendant from the future. It appears it was wise of you to have him wiped of his memories, lest there would have been rebellion to this plan of yours._"

"But, he should be able to do everything on his own accord, couldn't he?"

He took the time to contemplate on the matter, understanding what it meant to have virtually no energy produced by his own body when one was used to having depended on excessive ki—taking the energy for granted and leaving one vulnerable. It was one of his many skills to replace physical health with having ki freely flow from other sources, but it was mainly since both himself and the natural world had synchronized. "_Perhaps. Kuukanos did make him with a superior set of skills, so I wouldn't know for certain. He's also in a superior body, so that might factor in with his recovery of the ability... after he finishes purging himself of that illness._"

Shizuka scolded herself. She should had taken the pendant earlier and cured the boy from that predicament after they had their "accident", but the only reason she realized he was infected was due to their close proximity in that awkward moment.

"_Before I go,_" Columba started, feeling that someone was coming into the area. He had turned up in the living plane thanks to an anchor his friend had made years ago, and was prepared to use it as his own link between the living plane and Overspace. '_Though I am a bit concerned whether or not it will allow me to have control; the most I'd have is using its existence as a reality anchor, while it won't be aware of my existence... nor behave in the manner I would want it to._'

"_Bear in mind that Suzaku appears to have a follower in his midst now; a female of the Tsufuru tribe... or at least that is what I could interpret. Also don't overdo things with the mortal's body. It may have an extended life span due to your influence, but her body is failing. Have you even granted her the wish to see her son yet?_"

She stiffened at the interrogation, remembering how her priorities in protecting Taritsu came first. However, she did have moments where she visited the son of her willing host, but kept away as she felt herself losing control to the woman's desire to coddle her son. The years of being apart from him had nurtured that overwhelming desire, almost compromising her resolution.

He disappeared before she could answer, but Shizuka knew what she had to do. With a resolved solution, she thanked her elder companion for his much needed consulting. '_Though I'd like to thank you, Ritsu Hiryu... it seems your voluntary ascension to the afterlife has given you more wisdom and intimate knowledge than all the others. I keep the fact of the Tsufuru-jin in mind..._'

Once confirmed that she was free to leave the area, Shizuka Velarde headed out, intending on returning the pendant back to its rightful owner.

* * *

A pile of pillows and bed sheets greeted Amy as she entered her shared dorm. Inside, she saw the perpetrator of the mess, and silently backed away as she saw the distressed look on her face. Every other moment the girl would whisper to herself possible locations of where the missing memento was, which kept her from noticing the pink-haired roommate. "It was right here a while ago."

'_Brother really did choose an interesting person._'

"Oh, Amy! Didn't see you there." Stephanie chuckled nervously after being seen. She did not appreciate the fact that her roommate had caught her at a vulnerable time like this, but even worse still, she was having troubles of her own that she didn't want to speak of. '_No. I should ask for help; it wouldn't hurt to request for assistance._' "Uh... Amy, I'm a little embarrassed to say this, but you didn't happen to see where my... pendant was?"

See saw the girl fiddling nervously with her foot, as if what she had done was an irredeemable crime. It was actually considered that way for Stephanie Euphemia Chandler; since she had been a child, she had been rather unsure of herself. Her elder sister frightened her (despite declaring outright that she very much loved her), mainly since her actions of "love" were a bit too intense. She was also introduced to Soren Zeferi around that time, and thinking that he might be a good person—happened to trust him a lot.

Unfortunately, what trust she had for Soren was lost when she had that fateful incident. Stephanie was accused for bullying a girl she never acquainted herself with—the kind of girls who happened to fawn over pretty, perfect boys like Soren. She tried to defend herself from the accusation, but the girl had kept crying about it, and built up a crowd to enforce the claim. Needless to say, Stephanie made the mistake in asking Soren to step in and help... to which he remained neutral in the matter and never really stepped in to break the girl's claims. This broke Stephanie's perception of her friend, and led her to run off that fateful summer when Clarinda took both Soren and her to a park nearby the training grounds.

It was there that she met him, and there where she had exchanged promises. The pendant wasn't really in itself why she was desperately looking for it; had she considered it, she would had ordered a custom one made for her, and Taritsu wouldn't know the difference.

"Err, you mean the one which indicates that you're married to Kujo?"

Flustering at the accusation, Stephanie reactively denied that fact. Although she was consciously trying to keep herself from showing content with that statement, Stephanie's blushing cheeks were all Amy needed to know that the girl was, indeed, thinking along those lines.

'_Let's see if I can pry more out of oneechan._' Striding over to the older girl, Amy began inquiring her twenty questions on the matter. She started with a few mundane "true of false" questions, then ended up with the barrage of rhetoric that served to her advantage. Seeing the girl's embarrassed expression was endearing for Amy, but at the same time... a rather heartbreaking reminder.

Silent as she was reflecting of her progress, Stephanie finally had a hold of her embarrassed self and took a glance at the crestfallen girl. She had never actually seen the bubbly girl seem so gloomy; even if she was alone, the girl got along with strangers rather well—like a sort of serene person who could probably murder your entire family, and still manage to feel contempt with them. '_That's an odd thought, but it somewhat describes what Amy is like._'

Bringing up the courage to talk to Amy in her bout of sadness, Stephanie was all but successful when a new girl happened to walk into the room. She, an upperclassmen who Amy was able to befriend quite easily, had apparently arrived with news of some sorts.

News which had also brought the Chandler girl, Taritsu's childhood friend, to pay close attention as she began informing them of live events.

"They're saying the Rutabaskis are having trouble, Raisa. At the Sparks convention... there seems to have been some sort of forced entry..."

Fearing that there was bad news that involved her friends, Stephanie's mind had began clouding out what the girl was reporting, leaving most of the possibilities to run wild. What if something happened to Charlotte, or her beloved Kyousuke? She had already made the connection between Charlotte and Kyousuke's ties—figuring that their meeting at the convention was likely in part because of her connections with the Kairnese leading families. Knowing that her father was Baddack Valogna, she had deduced that she would had known—or at least briefly be associated with—the Rutabaskis. '_And Kyousuke did say say his name referred to wolves..._'

"...They look like Kujo. I mean, you seriously see the resemblance, right?"

Taking a look at the portable tablet the girl had provided, Stephanie noticed exactly what she was referring to. On the screen, the same face—or rather, the uncanny family resemblance—stared right at her. With what she could see, the News anchor had began speaking about the Rutabaski family, as it was the topic they swung over to as live feed was recording the actions of Sedrick Rutabaski. It was highly controversial, what he was doing, but Stephanie was certain that something else was amiss.

"_There seems to be a new development that our cameramen have been able to discover. It appears that Sedrick Rutabaski, Ambassador Member of the Allied Nations representing the entirety of Kairne, has taken off chasing after what SEEMS to be a were-beast. I'm not making this is amazing stuff up by the way; remember that nearly four decades ago, the elder Rutabaski_—_Johannes Greil Rutabaski_—_has fought against the supernatural himself. If we recall correctly, that was in 1969, and..._"

The older girl then cut in on the anchor's mild report, knowing that her friend was more concerned with what people were going to say once they were exposed to the fanatics and their controversial take on the family. Without allowing Stephanie to voice her own questions on the topic, the girl switched to a new website that was geared more to critique the world's politicians. The kind that did so,

at the expense of their credibility.

"_...the situation has finally been exposed, people. We've been telling you that this day would come, but no_—_you all haven't acted to put the Kairnese in their place; they continue to hunt down these supernatural creatures, which advocates have stated is their contribution to the global community, but you'd think they'd tell us that these sort of things exist? Honestly, they're not being transparent with us, so how can we trust such secretive people. And don't get me started on that Sedrick Rutabaski; hounded after the Boruvian princess and coerced her into siring a fiend, I tell you. Remember how fourteen years ago, that controversy where good 'ol chap Sedrick turned out to be a killer, and yet never received retributions for his actions, let alone spent any time? Well, I hate to burst your bubble people, but it seems that the rumors are true: Rutabaski has raised what "THEY" warned us about; the so called World Breaker *chuckles* is none other than that creature he's chasing._"

* * *

_Distortion_.

The only things that he could register in his racing mind was the instinctual compulsion to escape. The shoutings, the lights, everything dulled his senses as he was surrounded by people he hardly recognized in his current state; he had to escape.

Amusingly, his knowledge was intact and capable of determining who several of those people were: the man and woman were his parents, though he had briefly forgotten their names, and those children staring at him blankly were friends of his.

Did he remember who that man in the iron suit was—the Ironman? Or the auburn woman and rugged bloke with that strange bolt design on his uniform? The two men with the skyward hair he acknowledge as close companions, about the same level as family members, and he associated the girl with similar hair style as the elder male's daughter. The pale, silver haired female and the eerily pale boy that accompanied her weren't exactly individuals he knew. Perhaps he did recall the female~ but his mind was only certain of the familiar face that she had.

Then there was himself.

He could remember facts, emotions that he held for others; he intuitively knew that those men holding strange, metal objects were a danger, so he avoided them entirely as he raced throughout the streets. Yet he could not tell who he was, let alone figure out what that name he kept hearing was for?

Did they speak to him his name?

_Anxiety_.

He could feel it as he raced past them, breaking through the windows and searching for a particular nuisance which he detested. Deep within his core, he knew that there was something—rather—multiple things he needed to rectify.

It was second nature to him, to detect the things around him and know—without conscious effort—what was needed to be done. Having found himself scampering around clumsily on his legs, he ditched what annoyances were strapped on his wrists and opted to race on all fours. The natural sensation of having his claws provide addition traction calmed him, alongside with the needed sense of determining vibration shifts in the immediate area. Some sort of authority figure was trying to detain him, to harm him, but it ended up failing with each attempt.

He didn't need to see it or think of what they were doing—his second nature was able to_ force_ him to react. They shot bullets, that ended up with him picking them out of the air, and fired nets, which he easily sliced through as it came at him. Not to mention the constant screams of terrors that he heard as he came about, calling him all sorts of terminology that he was unsure even described him.

It really didn't matter much. He'd save them, purge them of their ailments as he had determined to do so. They'd eventually come to realize that he really didn't mean any harm to them. It was all really them feeling the great despair of him driving his claws and fangs into them that brought the stress level up to virtually unbearable levels.

_Alleviation_.

They never allowed him to do it, never voluntarily allowed him to sink himself into their flesh. The pregnant, expectant mother was not even aware of the fact that her child was in grave danger. Doctors couldn't detect it either, and they were astounded to see him enter uninvited in the manner he did. Had it been in his ordinary form, they would had yelled at him to leave, but they were fearful for their lives as he appeared before them. The woman was wavering in and out of consciousness, resting from her heavily stressful day and awaiting for the doctors to finish their routine examinations.

A moan resonated in the room as he tended to her and the developing child; the succulent flesh pure and exposed to him, calling out to the wandering entity to take care of it, just as he had done to others. It wasn't that he found pleasure in doing it; no, that was reserved for when his body was stimulated by the likelihood of taking a mate—a potential, consenting mate. This—however—was his instinctual duty to his fellow species, and he'd be damned to ignore it.

_Peace_.

It was what he felt from them as they realized their instant recovery, seconds after. As he had sniffed around for new patients, there really wasn't much for them to judge him by. He was like the wind: boundless and erratic. Not any of them could detain him, and neither did any of the people he cure have any grudges or miscontent from him handling them. They were glad to feel refreshed, and it was that relief that brought them a long awaited peace.

Unfortunately, such peace would not extend over to his father as he trailed him. He was deeply concerned for his son, and it wouldn't be easy for the man to keep him at one spot.

* * *

"Stryder."

Amanda wondered what the assassin knew in tracking the two down. She was particularly concerned with the younger encountering danger, as the Sagratians would likely attack him out of fear—their "pragmatic" reason for doing many controversial things when something difficult stood in their way.

"I'm a few meters behind the boy. It's gotten difficult since he opted to run on all fours, and happened to leave some sort of device behind to do so." He said whilst picking up the Web shooters. Vincent had never seen anything like it, but before having the opportunity to test the devices, Amanda continued with the questions. This time, she wondered what Sedrick Rutabaski's efforts had reaped.

"He's been following the kid, but hasn't caught up to him yet. People are alarmed by his presence, and the swat team has seemed to reacted by now." Vincent replied, seeing the group arrive to begin their task. It was due to the fact that the kid appeared like a beast that civilians were reacting in such a manner, and wouldn't tolerate his actions.

He wasn't actually going to harm anyone—in fact, it wasn't what his primal mind was intending. Yet the swat team intended on taking care of the situation their own way.

'_Damn it. Why do they always have to react so extreme?_' Amanda thought, just as she took a look at the friends and relatives of Taritsu Rutabaski. As she evaluated each of them, her curiosity remained on the young, bronze haired teen that seemed to wield a blank look—as if this had already happened before. Figuring that it was best to find out the knowledge she began to ask.

"I really don't know anything about stopping him." Charlotte began after a moment of being unresponsive. "...but I do know that he isn't acting violently, even if it appears as if he currently is." Charlotte added, remembering how Taritsu had protected both her and Paula from Brolli's gang. Had he not done so, she wouldn't have been here to this day. '_I should... return the favor. Maybe I can bring him back to acknowledge his rationality._'

Sighing, Amanda returned to speaking with Vincent, repeating what Charlotte had told her. They knew that Taritsu was in deep trouble, and that Sedrick alone wouldn't be enough to contain him. Such was the reason that Baddack and Alberto had taken their leave as well, seeing as they knew how to keep the authorities from doing something irreversible. As for Yanagi... she took a while to speak to Amanda, since as a mother she was still in shock as to what had become of her son.

After questioning the woman of what they had managed to find out, Yanagi took notice that Charlotte had disappeared. A grave fact as they were accounted for Baddack's daughter while he went out to assist Sedrick.

'_You know, sis. He isn't that difficult to find; I can help you locate him, but you have to give me control..._'

"No, I'm fine thanks." Charlotte retorted immediately, finding the premise of losing control of herself more frightening than anything else. She knew that Vejita and the others weren't going to catch up to her for while, since they were working on taking those two civilians to the safe zone; she also knew that Taritsu was most likely scared out of his mind.

'_Oh? Is it because you don't trust me, sis?_' The voice started once again, trying to convince her that it genuinely cared about assisting. For all that Charlotte knew, whatever it wanted was to serve its own agenda; she didn't know exactly what that agenda was, but she didn't care to find out, let alone allow it the chance to achieve it.

'_You're more likely to find him following the helicopters._' It informed without trying to convince her of anything.

Making her way past all the authorities and sneaking past the camera crew, Charlotte did what she could to observe her closest friend. From all of her experiences, Taritsu was the only friend she had that was responsive and concern for her life. Besides her father or brother, and besides their extended family, Charlotte deeply feel his love and caring nature.

So what if his current bestial form with violent dark blue was too intimidating? Taritsu would always do what he possibly can to ensure that they were all right. In fact, from what Charlotte's memories were, Taritsu had lapped her wounds to heal them—something which was entirely peaceful and considerate. The same was probably what he was trying to do now, though it's his father who's chasing him off from the scared patients that doesn't allow him to prove himself.

'_I do hope they won't shoot Tari._' She noticed how the Sagratians were noisily making their escape, and unlike what she figured the military personel doing, Charlotte found herself facing a scene where the man from before, back in the Sparks Tower, was speaking with the generals like old friends. Doing what they could to settle things, the military personel, as far as Charlotte could tell, took aim and fired at her friend. There was no given chance for him, and she knew that they would probably extract him for an autopsy.

Such was the reason that Charlotte's body found herself between the authorities and her friend, doing the best of what she felt in her heart was necessary for his health. Finally able to catch their attention, she coax his muzzy snout, to which he gently obliged—feeling her tender gentleness much the same in confidence as he had presented to her.

In other words: Charlotte's trust in Taritsu transcended her fear, whether others knew or not, and also aided Taritsu feel humanely of his own personal being. Up to the point where he was just a few inches taller, along with finger nails having returned to normal, and his silky yet unmanageably rough hair changed back to that friendly blue shade they knew.

"I know it may have not gone the way I planned but this is good too," Adrian started informing, knowing well that the Sagratians were going to capture the boy. If they did, Adrian would have an excuse to get near him, but it required having to wait for the Allied Nations meeting that would address the day's occurence.

"Just don't make any unnecessary risks that'll expose you."

'_Oh, I'll keep that in mind..._'

* * *

It had been eight days since the event in the news became caught on film.

Everyone had been wondering what they had saw, and most of the world leaders were questioning Kairne and their ability to handle their family "_business_".

That was the status quo of the popular topic—even among those who lived within their borders. It was the same everywhere in the world, but a few didn't agree with the lynching, and neither did they find the suggested messages anything favorable.

This was what the Rutabaskis and their close family members were, taking a strict attitude against the negative inference which Sagratia's, and a couple other world leaders, backed up on. They didn't want to leave the kid with any moment's peace, and a lot of the effects could be expressed by the solo isolation Taritsu was currently in.

*knock knock*

The sound resonated in the empty room, much contrast to what the instigator knew was the boy's ignorant nature to answer. The only problem... was that this instigator would not allow the boy to shut everyone else out, as it was the instigator's will to get him to open.

'_And open he shall._' "Open up... it's me, Claire."

The door crept ajar, allowing her to enter without restriction. Unlike what every male was currently thinking as they laid eyes on the young beauty, Taritsu was neither interested nor forgiving of himself for what shame he had brought to himself. His room was murky and combed with webs over the period of time he spent in there; it was likely he hadn't bothered to leave the room either. In fact, if Claire was to evaluate the room, it would be second to her sister in disorder... had Stephanie's room not been studied closely by the elder Chandler sister.

"Good grief, _Jotaro_, how do you sleep with this mess?"

Silence was the only thing that greeted the young adult, and she had not way of indicating what was wrong with the boy. Sure, he lived in the dorms with males surrounding his room, but the repressed emotion was not a healthy aspect for him to nurture. '_I'm pretty sure no one has made the connection between his two identities, so there isn't much for him to worry about._'

It was then that Clarinda found her foot bump into the boy, who—for all intents and purposes—was sulking in the corner. She really didn't have much of an idea of what to do with boys, much less someone like him, but the Chandler daughter knew that she had to raise up his spirits for the day's event.

Afterall, she did tell him around two weeks ago that she'd arrive to take him to the "date" which they agreed upon.

"Jotaro-san, are you feeling alright?"

She tried to catch a glimpse of his face, only to find him stiff and emotionless. Perhaps that event which they caught him on live TV did affect him so horribly. She wasn't a psychologist to actually diagnose him... yet.

Kneeling next to the boy, she eyed him in detail, appreciating his features as she had come to enjoy his natural blue colored hair. The media did catch that detail when he changed back from his "_werebeast_" form, but the school cap he wore hid it under a much darker shade thanks to the lack of lighting. All in all, she found herself falling for his good looks, as opposed to what people thought of her and Soren Zeferi when they were younger.

Turning by mere centimeters, Taritsu finally laid his piercing eyes on the young woman whom he still recalled, yet remain silent as he was still afflicted. The Chandler girl's piercing aquamarine enveloped his entire gaze, and never did look in the opposite directing—feeling unnerved or shamed by his look—as she was waiting for him.

'_Please react, Taritsu. I'm don't want to see you so hurt._' She then popped an idea in her mind that was bound to draw a reaction from him! '_It have to. It's not everyday does someone gain the favoribility of moi._' Besides, she knew that the political agenda that blanketed behind the mystery visitor was highly saturated in favors as well, so it was best that she'd get the boy to emote... at least subtly so.

Kneeling just a few feet away from him, she clutched her hands and pleaded with him through the eyes—to which the boy never really react at her charm. A slight annoyance, but good enough for the Elder Chandler daughter to work with at her own pace. With a sly grin which reflected the boy's family of the paternal side, Clarinda briefly took his palm and brought it to her chest—knowing full well that her heartbeat may in fact succeed where she had fail.

It'd just be a few moments before she'd be able to get him to speak in a full conversation before she'd make sure to inform him of the plan his mother and grandmother had in store for him.

* * *

"So why can't we follow the order, huh? What's so wrong about allowing the council to decree what we'll do as the final say of the boy's fate?"

Indistinct chatter and murmur continued to fill the room, prompting all the members of the Allied Nations to begin reasoning among themselves the multitudes of drawbacks why such issues concerning the boy couldn't be pushed on.

Which all came to a halt as they laid eyes on the current Padrone as he stared fiercely at each and every one of the advocates who pushed for his grandson's punishment. Johannes was glad that his grandson's android had swooped in to protect him—just as he was glad that Speedwagon had messaged his son to interfere with the Sagratian's army (a small favor which he choose to do for the family). However, he understood that most of the issues laid upon what the Tepelny family would do with the broadcast, and since they were most familiar with these kinds of issues.

'_Of course, they did ask for a favor in return. My grandson isn't entirely ready for handling that sort of request, but whatever can get done..._' He took note of the men looking at him with discomfort, which Johannes immediately put a stop to as he wanted the meeting to be over. Fortunately, someone obliged to his wishes.

"I know we're all antsy of the decision, we've all wanted to know what Rutabaski's decision would be fourteen years ago, but the decision cannot be enacted if we're facing opposition. Take for instance the Grundean, Kairnese, and Boruvian nations: none of them stand behind our decisions, and it is an act of betrayal in this council if we act behind their backs."

The audience continuously agreed with the current speaker, knowing well that in doing so, they would provoke those superpowers into retaliating against them. Not only that, but they had spoken of the matter multiple times, and it was likely that they wouldn't appreciate what their neighboring nations had in mind for the current matter.

"It is this exact reason that I propose we do something about the boy—but just not any simple action! The proposal is that we keep him under watchful vigilence, the kind which a government won't ever leave out of their sights. In this manner, Taritsu Maurice Kyousuke wouldn't—."

"—Have any issues with all nations in favor of this so called "home arrest" proposal you're striking up, eh?" The voice was none other than Director Nicholas Miles, the very same in charge of BALM, and the same man who was currently interrupting the Pyrastrenean announcer from making any further statements before he would be too late to retract them. "Yes, that seems like a great plan, Orlando."

'_Miles? In person?_' It was the first time Johannes had seen the man show up on his own, not booming his announced arrival like he'd normally do in the past. From what Johanne's history was with the man, this sort of retort was domestic for the man, but at least there wasn't any contests as to who was the leading authority in the room as of that moment; part of the reason the AN council was created was in part of breaking away from a single authority figure—to essentially create global confederation.

"I'd have to agree with Miles, my friends." Spoke another with an urgency to ensure that his country wouldn't make enemies with the three superpowers. "It is much more favorable that we'd listen to Miles and his suggestions, than we'd begin dictating what the boy can and cannot do. Afterall," he began, reminding all that would listen the crucial fact that they couldn't betray Johannes Greil for his services. "...And I don't imagine the boy causing any of those problems on his own. Why must we stick him with the symptoms as well?"

They returned once more to their chatter, just as another reminded the council that of which had occurred decades ago with a certain man who no one had problems with. "Just so you know, Juliano Marzo was much the same as the Rutabaski primogeniture of today. Sure, there are genetic differences, but you can't deny the parallel between the two."

Lots of members spoke among themselves this time. They remembered what had become of the last Kairnese Padrone, and they wouldn't question what had led to those conditions; now, the same conditions that led to Juliano Marzo dying was appealing to protect the Rutabaski primogeniture.

"How controversial the director of the global police force is acting." Began the politician. Many were starting to back up on his claim, knowing well that Miles was not one to specifically favor someone so openly.

"I could say the same of you, O'brien. The kid isn't of actual danger; we've looked into the individuals who came in contact with him, and it returns negative with each of them. In fact, my colleagues have joined us today to inform you just that."

It wasn't too long until everyone was settled down from the scandal; no one wanted to to challenge Director Miles of his position, all except a select few professionals who were certain of their stance on the matter, and those few were none other than the Sagratian's Presidential Cabinet—consisting of the Secretaries of Justice, Defense, and State Affairs.

As they did what they could to debunk Miles, the rest of the council soon found themselves falling silent towards the coercive silence of the Kairnese Leading General, staring daggers deep through the haughty claims which they were so proud of.

"Just as you claimed before, Miles, the boy isn't really at fault." The closest of the three reminded them. His companions were both following the instructions the president provided, and just as they were certain of the plan being flawless, they were also certain Pioneeri would quiet down from the contents of their announcement.

"However, our government worries of the likelihood of leaving these risks unaccounted for. That being said," he began, giving way for a fourth person to enter behind them. "I'd like to introduce you all to our trusted neuroscientist: Adrian de Folli."

There, standing with filled pride, was a male about the age of the Rutabaski primogeniture. Clad in a burgundy sweater and dark jeans, the teen was what one would describe as a natural auburn haired Tom girl, but still clearly masculine as it was his features which struck the council the most.

What they saw before them could almost be mistaken as a model, but the Cabinet members had already reinforced the idea prior to his introduction. In either case, the Allied Nations were not at all taken aback by the sudden introduction, but were—for all intents and purposes—appalled by the presence of one of the world's most brilliant minds.

'_Damn. Looks like I'd have to inform the others of this new development. Taritsu won't take the act of being watched so lightly._' Vasilis started in his mind as he tried to discover a way out of the problem.

"Of course, there is a bit of reluctance leaving de Folli with Rutabaski, but we assure the council that there is not much to fear. Also, in addition to his excellent services that far exceed the norm globally, de Folli is under Hippocratic oath—obliged to do as we ask for it is the custom of doctors." Retorted the politician once again, glad to flaunt the fact around like he were comparing assets. "Let's just keep in mind that Rutabaski is not really out in the world, nor should he even be allowed to enter foreign soils; the only worry we should have is handling the fact that he is attending the ISF out in the..."

* * *

The girls were both taking a while to come to terms with the new knowledge they had on their male friend. Stephanie was taking a while to get accustomed to the fact that he appeared on global news, while Charlotte was doing her best to understand what was going through his mind. From what the bronze haired teen knew, her friend was likely in shock of what happened to himself, and not wanting to speak to anyone about the matter. '_Maybe he's just not in the mood. It's just how anyone would react when they're caught on camera; he'd get over it..._'

Stephanie's downcast look contrasted Charlotte's hopeful one as she was constructing a possible reason as to why he was gloomy. They each held opposing views on the matter, but as Charlotte knew how volatile the matter could end up, the two came to agree that the best action they could follow through with was to seek their friend out and have him lean on them as his structural support.

"Well, it is the start of Winter break already, and everyone is pretty much out of the institute... so I guess there wouldn't be much of an issue if we go check on him ourselves."

"Yeah, I really don't see any problem with that," Charlotte gleefully chimed, knowing well that the situation was in their favor now as compared to the rest of the year. They both knew that the holidays that were particularly comfortable for the situation they were trying to pull was more of a girl's mandatory chocolate giving day—which they didn't want to waste their time in—and Taritsu was pretty much alone in the boy's area of the dorms.

"Same here; I don't see what could go wrong," added Stephanie as they were about to depart from the room—moments before a blonde teen who was every bit familiar with Taritsu's acquaintances rushed in with loss of breath. Doing what she could to keep the girls from leaving, Cecilia began spouting "nonsense" surrounding the scandalous meeting between the two individuals she saw—doing her darnest to worry the friends of what mischief the boy was conspiring with them looking away.

Without any additional thought at the matter—or questioning of the girl's motives—the two friends hurried through to figure out what exactly was the issue they were being presented. Hoping to find him alone in his room, no one could have expected to see the results which laid before the two teens as they rounded the current corridor's corner.

Just as both Rutabaski and Chandler primogenitures weren't ready to see their companions round the corner behind them—for it was the very issue of Taritsu Rutabaski finding himself caught while having his hands held by the elder Tepelny sister that worried him—the pair of friends stood in great shock to what appeared before them.

The dark overcoat with the overgrown cap and large coat hiding away the bulging muscle tones of his, alongside with what blue and gold uniform the younger girl wore; with both teens sporting dark and blue hair respectively, they appeared to the unsuspecting as a lovely match.

Definitely the very idea which the two friends had mistaken the two kids being as, but what left the two worse off than just simply being seen... was the few simple words which Charlotte's mind began working in overdrive to comprehend:

_ I love you, sweety._


	27. Chapter 27

**Arc III**

**Chapter 3**

**Agendas  
**

* * *

Humans are entranced by their dreams regardless of birth, rank or social standing. The dream supports them. It makes them suffer and it breathes new life into them.

And, irregardless of what they intend to do with it, irregardless of whether they intend to salvage precious lives or impose suffering unto others... it kills them. Even if they've given up on it, it continues to smolder in their hearts. All have a dream at least once in their lives. They imagine themselves being martyrs to the God their dream has become. Others live on powerlessly, birthed into the world. I find it abhorrent to simply live out my life, for no other reason than I was born into it...

The world continues with that... and it doesn't seem satisfied with morbidly messing with my life, nor does satisfaction come from alliances and political actions partners are making at the moment. Inevitably pointless, really.

I am Soren Zeferi. A fourteen year old, single child, and the favorite among my peers. The future I lead is considered limitless—with little standing in my way; there is literally nothing keeping me from the potential lifestyle I possibly could want.

And yet. All paths I seek continue to display bleak, dim lives which my family seems to be blinded by—for I lack that one thing which everyone aspires for.

"_Rutabaski Taritsu has been declared public enemy number one in Sagratia today. The same holds true in multiple countries, such as..._"

That annoyance again. They like to jump on the bandwagon just because it keeps them from confronting the true reality of the world. Honestly, lately this week it's been much more light-hearted than usual. Pile up all the blame on one person—that's the popular route they choose. '_Of course, the alternative is suicide, genocide, and the like which instigates betrayal... but that's not a viable solution at all. I guess knowing this, it makes me glad..._'

Indeed, fidelity and betrayal. The two concepts appear side by side, both complimenting each other and handling the world's problems, one situation at a time. I mean, if it weren't for fidelity, then what purpose would a relationship have in the first place? If you ask me, reality works like a bunch of gears. They all have a purpose, either to prove themselves against an antagonist, or to prove to society that they can improve it. Those who provide improvements are usually blighted by problems and issues—taking heat and blame away from society to improve the lives of others.

They are martyrs, never asking for trouble... yet always taking the heat for people to live peacefully. I know for a certain fact that Rutabaski, _The_ Taritsu Rutabaski, didn't personally seek that position, but...

_It's not like he can't just walk away and ignore his problems_—_not like I, anyway..._

I, myself, would like to think of my own being like that as a simple cog in the system. I'm just an addition to the problem—an individual who adds weight towards all the issues that real people have to deal with.

Soren Zeferi: The Star and Pride of the Zeferi family. My own grandfather would be disgusted with me had he known how I loath the grandson of his best friend; as much as I hate those who dwell on the past, my own hatred continues to ferment this feeling—this disappointment in my very core—that I can't help but feel helpless dealing with.

I've tried countless times, repeated the words over and over, but can't seem to understand why I fail.

Why is it that Rutabaski continues suffering for people who can't [for the life of them] speak words of gratitude? In the meanwhile, I'm isolated with the struggle of pleasing everyone else. I want to ease their anxiety, to know why it is that these special beings do what they see as righteousness, and to know why this type of struggle seems to pay off for them.

Yet because these people love me—because they look up to me... they fight for my affections. I'm filled with a rage and jealousy which I can't explain justifiably, considering how they didn't intend to harm anyone; they don't expect anything out of anyone, and don't complain at all, or discuss grievances that they have with the world.

_I'm the very definition of a disgrace to my grandfather's legacy._

Each passing moment in which I am empty, a thought presses on, urging me to complete my task. I see the bright, gleaming silver reflecting the sun's rays while I'm contemplating all this. So simple, the act of finishing what I want could bring them a reassurance of my own predicament. My parents have been... _concerned_ as of lately, wondering what's wrong with their sole child. I can't blame them; I'm a failure, and there is really no use in trying to figure me out—for I haven't a clue of my own self either.

And so it seems that the cause of my hesitation... is another whose life remains shrouded in mystery and question lays in wait for the interference of a caring soul.

Sitting there depressed and listlessly on the swings, awaiting like a dejected dog whose master had recently passed, was none other than a female dressed in lolita clothing—like that of a performer. Her hair, which I determine as dark ebony locks, remain untarnished.

Yet the expression she had was that of bad news: neither glad to be seen in public nor at ease with herself since performances were likely booked and taking over her life as of lately.

'_Can't be any worse off than my predicament._' I noted as she held herself in low spirits—threatening to give into the consequences of an unavoidable depression which compelled her to step towards the edge of the bridge, and prepare herself.

All I really knew was that whoever this person was... even though I myself saw my current behavior as despicable... they needed as much help as one could possibly provide, regardless of whether my fidelity was on par with the kind someone else had. I just have to do _SOMETHING _for this person.

* * *

The situation replayed in the minds of both Stephanie and her sister as they observe the Valogna daughter withhold her verbal outcry at the sudden display which she had believed was a simple mistake at first.

The Rutabaski primogeniture saw his closest friend glare at him silently as he tried to keep the girl from closing the distance between the both of them—taking him entirely by surprise as he couldn't understand what she meant prior to the arrival of the other two.

"Eh? You must be friends of my fiance. *chuckles* It's nice to meet you in person—especially when one considers the fact that he's declared a wanted criminal. *sighs* People really need to calm down when it comes to these matters, especially when you consider the fact that he's never actually wanted to harm anyone..." Karalynne continued to speak on the matter for several more minutes, leaving the two sisters free to speak with one another as the other teens were divided on paying attention to either the subject at hand, the question as to why Karalynne Tepelny claimed herself the engagement partner to Taritsu Rutabaski, or that last person with white, pale locks sitting calmly as they were interacting.

At either case, Stephanie Euphemia was still curious as to what her family had to do with the situation as well; it wouldn't calm her nerves knowing that her sister was in on something that they kept her in the dark about—especially when it was concerning her about her childhood friend.

"_Oneesan_? Care to explain what you're doing here?"

The question was more than reasonable to ask, but in order for the pair to understand what was the justified cause for the turn of events, Clarinda brought the two friends to sit throughout the discussion, knowing that the explanation would take much longer than necessarily tolerable.

'_That, and the fact which I'm required to explain the situation to Taritsu anyway._' She giggled to herself, coming to terms with the fact that she wasn't entirely useless. It just took a few moments for Clarinda Chandler to realize what she could reveal—knowing well about the fact that the boy was reported by her father to be a bit wary of being touched by others since his incident. He wasn't so used to the feeling of having another act so intimate with him—especially since the way he viewed himself afterwards wasn't the most healthy... to put it in simple terms. "Oh, I'm just standing in as a legal representative. I may be a science major, but the representation I'm standing in for is something I'm plenty qualified for. Isn't that right, future leaders of the Seiya-jins?"

"I wouldn't advise you to push it, miss Chandler." Finally spoke the girl who they were wondering about.

Karalynne, however, chastised her before sitting down, and pulling Taritsu next to her in an intimate manner. Holding onto his hand, she patiently smiled while he became more and more uncomfortable with the situation; all the while Clarinda Chandler sighed deeply as she watched Charlotte handle the news on her own. She was staring intently at the their joined hands, almost as if she were envious.

Certain that it would be best to get the situation over with, the elder Chandler daughter began relaying them with the story that she was told weeks before—back when Taritsu's world wide discovery was still fresh in the minds of all who were up to date with the hottest topics. It was particularly in Tepelny's interest to know what had occurred with the boy, seeing as he was taken by storm through various social commentators on the same issue which they always emphasized. However, what was most outstanding on his part to the Jakarta district was not the destruction which accompanied him, but rather, it was the particular development which the Jakarta district had every so often around the time that the eldest daughter became of age.

They didn't inquire what the previous plans were for Karalynne; so long as their son was given sovereign immunity as long as he remained in the engagement... all seemed well. '_Well, it's all thanks to the Allied Nations recognizing Jakarta as a minority dense community; it would be unfavorable for anyone to set charges against him. That is why they kept quiet in starting a trial against him last time._'

"... that's pretty much the sole reason why his parents have allowed it." Clarinda informed, taking note of the fact that the girl was being a bit too touchy with Taritsu than he found comfortable. She briefly saw the pang of pain flash on Charlotte, bring her amusement as to what the boy's romantic orientation would conflict with humorously understanding that the Rutabaski was apathetic on the matter which he was currently stuck with.

Boring a hole into her elder sister with as much malice she possibly could, Stephanie continued urging her sister for additional explanations as to what Taritsu's thoughts were on the matter—even as to what he possibly wanted at the moment that the girl he was stuck to possibly couldn't provide him with. '_She may be his political fiance, but we're already more than that._'

"_...I'd like to be alone for a while..._" Taritsu's request was a little more than a mere whisper, surprising all of the females who were present with him; all except Clarinda and that other girl as they understood his need to regain his bearings. Allowing him the needed space to recover, Clarinda took notice of the friends that he had made, making good use of the two who were deeply concerned for his well being—as well as noticing the subtle dedicated conviction which he set aside.

Whatever he had troubling his mind, none of them knew what it was; all which they had as a clue was the fact that the problem seemed to be based on his uneasiness with the engagement.

* * *

"Ah, Levy. I've been expecting you to arrive. Please, help yourself to a seat."

Nora didn't need to be told twice when Director Amadeus invited her inside the room. Also present were Anthony Sparks, Henry Blakes, and that flame-esque haired man who she met several months ago; Vegeta was his name... or at least that was what she recalled hearing it pronounced. Paula de Folli was also present—since Director Amadeus and Johannes were both led to believe that the girl might know a few of the details on the "spy" they had to deal with for the next few years. She could work with Paula easily, seeing as the girl wasn't much to cause trouble; the only problems they'd have would be dealing with Karalynne Tepelny, considering how that girl was currently working her charm to get Taritsu to open up.

'_Tari-sensei isn't really the type to relate to others so easily though._' Nora knew that was a waste of time, but it was at least better than having to deal with another political issue. She seriously understood why the boy disliked the prospect of following in on his father's footsteps for the position of the AN council. '_He's also more likely to confide with Charlotte or Paula, considering how close he is with either of them._' She recalled that one time occurrence when he happened to compliment her in much the same manner that a boyfriend would, but Nora ignored it as he had given her clues as to why the sudden interest; no point in making her friends satisfied with the two of them hooking up when their families didn't get along.

Taking note of all the people who she was to work with (as requested to her by Kairne's_ Padrone_) Nora found herself with the difficulty of understanding how exactly it was that the boy did not appear ill, nor detained by the Sagratian embassy. '_Well, Bass did report he showed up an abnormal lymphatic cell count when they captured him._' She took notice of Sparks, remembering how he and his brother also played an integral role in keeping Taritsu from being a political prisoner. It wasn't exactly the kind of news one would had wanted to see, but Nora had to bear with the connotative representation which her father had—no doubt—found useful for a later date.

'_He'd probably let me have it when I return home._' She chuckled. It really had been a while since she had felt the cool satin of her sheets, or the warm welcome of the housekeepers. Hell—Nora had spent weeks away from her home, thinking that she'd be better off independent from her family, when the opposite seemed true. Cornelio Levy seemed to be having a blast when he heard that Nora was struggling with the issue of caring for the Rutabaski primogeniture.

It seemed that every chance they had, the News anchors continued bashing on Taritsu's event, further illustrating him as a wanted criminal; a complete 180 on what they had been stating about several weeks ago during the conference pertaining to young, brilliant minds—back when Taritsu was spoken of in the same regard as Max Planck, Niels Bohr, and Nikola Tesla. '_Speaking of young, brilliant minds..._'

"...Yes, that new individual that the AN council had approved of is being transferred here by tomorrow. My reason for speaking to each of you—as you may have guessed by now—is that we need to keep an eye on their agent—and to do so, we must somehow limit what Adrian can access. It is too late for us to thwart what plans they have in motion; the investigators have concluded from what they could take from BALM—learning that Taritsu's remaining components of the web shooters—are essentially categorized as "_biological agents_" of terror—so they wouldn't listen to any explanations which Levy can provide. They would consider it as a mutual insider work—since the two of you were colleagues before, Nora."

"Excuse me, director, but could it be possible that the reason Sagratia is so keen on getting their prodigy graduate in the academy is due part to a conspiracy. I mean, before the incident occurred, Rutabaski informed us of invaders from other worlds having been active four years ago. Obviously we can't ask him of anything now, but the fact of the matter stands that there were witnesses, some that we can still ask if they have any information on the events." Anthony informed, knowing that his comrade was incapable of confirming the story himself.

Understanding what he was being informed of, Amadeus Quinn briefly flashed an expression of genuine surprise. He had heard that the superpowers had such controversies before, back when Juliano Marzo was leader of Kairne and the _International Science Foundation_ was still being set up for open enrollment. They were envious of the man, and dearly wanted him out of the picture; so much in fact, that it was entirely possible that they had been involved with the conspiracy to get rid of J.M. in 1963.

'_The boy was regarded as his successor in several articles. Heck, I'm certain that his transformation has them make the general connection between the two_—_serving as an indication that he's much like the Seiya-jin ethnicity that they speak of in Jakarta._' Amadeus was clearly awry of what would become of Johannes' grandson; the kid was the essential apex of that composite race—and very much feared for his physical capabilities which overshadowed the rest of the world. If not because of the fact that he was seen on televised news, Amadeus would had been certain by now that the boy would had been sleeping soundly instead of being orientated to recognize all the political policies he needed for the trial.

"Well, I would like to disagree with that, but there really can't be any chances for us to take—just because we'd like to think good of strangers, _Anthony Lance Sparks_." The man spoke with accumulated wisdom which he was well acquainted with. He indeed knew that the Rutabaski family had suffered far more than their necessary share, and that they had made much more enemies being allied with an ethnicity which the world came to fear. True, Kairne and Boruvia weren't much to be concerned of back several decades ago—but that all seemed to change after the preemptive attacks on their leaders occurred in the mid-sixties.

'_Besides... this isn't like Taritsu is actually going to have children with Karalynne Tepelny. The marriage is purely political_—_that is what his mother had clearly pointed out during their arrangements. He may be the apex of the race, but that doesn't mean he's going to be their champion warrior solely basing the facts on physical prowess alone._' "However, I am a bit concerned with what the youth is handling these new predicaments; he's been a bit too reclusive for my liking—far more than ordinarily. I'm starting to think that he's been reflecting on his life a bit, as if there is a certain aspect which he's having trouble dealing with." Amadeus informed the group, making sure that they all caught on to what he was trying to inform them with.

Nora eyed the subtle hints which Vejita was dropping for her, urging her to follow his lead. She saw as he was contacting Paula, bringing her along with his small group of decision makers, but that wasn't enough for her to feel comfortable with them. If anything, she was much more aware of the fact that Taritsu was out on his own while the group decided on what choices to make; leaving him to fend on his own was counterproductive—especially once she incorporated the small detail in which the boy was acting much more shrewd than usual.

"Err, I'd like to make a small request, but it would require confronting our person of interest—if you all don't mind..."

* * *

'_What the hell is wrong with me?_' He struggled to come to terms with the idea of what his memory contained. Seeing everyone he once knew was reassuring, no doubt, but the boy had little to no idea of who he was. '_I can recall uncle... I know that the girl with skyward locks is Charlotte... Vejita is the one with flame-like hair..._' He continued to reflect on all the facts he retained over the years. Since childhood, he came to the conclusion that girls weren't that interested in him; it was probably likely due to the fact that his grandfather's quirks—the same which his grandmother called adorkable—were a deterrent in the attraction process.

'_I recall spending my days with those boys; they seem like they must know a lot of which goes on with my daily schedule_—_by the looks of things._' He briefly scoffed at the idea that he had completely focused his life around experiments, ignoring interactions with others because he found them counter-productive in the process of constructing a viable archive of his interactions.

Whatever they were doing, he certainly wasn't so sure that the idea of him aiding them on issues was any more favorable for the world than they were ready for his participation—when it seemed more like he sacrificed himself for the sake of the people, in a manner that required painting himself as the public enemy number one. He was also uncertain as to how Vejita failed in informing him that he wasn't able to provide any assistance in handling problems, but it seemed he somehow managed this far; there shouldn't be much of a difference if he continued taking the same recommendations until further notice either.

Catching a glimpse of a figure blurring by behind him, Taritsu quickly began having racing thoughts of what exactly could transpire while he was alone. For all he knew, the likelihood of being jumped in the institution was just as high as the likelihood of encountering a fellow scientist in the biology break room. People may or may not be as friendly as he expected them to be, but at least he had an idea of what they could behave like. '_They could also be a bit frisky for my liking; a great thing my memory of information is still intact, lest I'd have to deal with answering problems I have no actual clue about._'

He then turned around, hearing the scrambling pitter-patter of passing individuals that were most likely either trespassing or holding themselves responsible for a few additional minutes in the research department. Considering the fact that Director Quinn sent mostly everyone home since the news reached a lot of people—Taritsu was left with little variety on what the possibilities were—so he was quite astonished to have encountered someone whom he had believed was more or less supposed to be attentive for him.

"_The hell_? Let go of me—you-!"

Covering his mouth so that he wouldn't cause anyone to reconsider their actions, Vejita and Henry continued holding down the Rutabaski Primogeniture as the others (Anthony, Nora, and Paula) came up with a superior list of data inquisition—knowing full well that the youth wasn't going to be so reliable at the start as he felt violated by their surprise handling.

That, and he was also agitated by the fact that the elder male was trying to smother him into unconsciousness—taking full advantage of his defenseless form as he was more or less accustomed to leaving his guard down in the ISF, even when it was rather unnatural for Taritsu to feel a sort of sensation (like that akin to an adrenaline rush during battle).

"Calm down, we're only concerned with you for the upcoming trial." Vejita informed, applying much more force which he needed to coax him; he wouldn't admit it, but Vejita felt a mixture of disgust and pleasure driving his closed fist into the teen's gut: the reason being that he was never actually able to punish him for anything in ordinary sparring sessions.

'_What the hell do they want now?_' He hadn't meant to think of that situation intentionally. It came rather naturally to consider 50 different methodologies to bust in their heads and escape—30 of those involving shoving Vejita against the wall and dragging him along with him as a hostage as well. Then there was that strange instinct he was having trouble with on his own; for some reason unbeknownst to the teen, he was somehow able to utilize his limbs as an extended weapon—like a type of club that was simply attached to him. If anything, this sort of thinking simply reinforced his knowledge of how frail life could be. '_Come on. Think of something else, please!_'

"Maurice." Henry began after letting him go once he was certain the restraints were properly placed on him. Since he knew him last, their emotional connection wasn't as strong, but it was necessary for the hypothesis Nora came up with during their meeting. Henry was also a bit awry if the director was really okay with the plan which Nora introduced to them; it wasn't that favorable to attack him psychologically, especially since both he and Anthony were aware of the fact that the teen wasn't very open about his personal past. Nevertheless, Vejita found it the best solution at the moment; he was more than certain that this method would bring them the options which they needed for the trial's "_best_" outcome, especially since being on parole wasn't something which Vejita knew the kid could tolerate for a crime he didn't do. "I'd like to ask you some questions, so if you don't mind... try to answer as many as you possibly can within the time frame provided. Got it?"

Nodding slowly withing his bounded restraints, Taritsu gave Henry a soft expression of understanding, then gazed at him expectantly as he awaited the first few questions.

"Name the blood type which mosquitoes prefer over all others," he casually said—knowing full well that he had said the answer several weeks ago.

"Type O blood, but that's not the only factor in determining which person in a group would be chosen for blood extraction. About 85% of a mosquito's preference is based on genetic factors..."

Henry stopped him, having received the necessary answer which he was looking for. Now giving Anthony his chance to speak, the boys were both acknowledging one another with the kind of respect which they had come to developed over their months spent in an alliance. Because Anthony was pretty aware of his verbal informant process which he voiced his disappointments with his own country to Taritsu with whatever opportunity he had, Anthony decided using a current event for his questioning; in this case, he reminded the boy of the mistaken shooting of a journalist.

"So, what country did the journalist originate from? This is from the month of march, just so you know."

'_Doesn't he ever think of any positive facts that Sagratia actually can take credit for? Man, of all the things, and just when the trial is soon too. Does he want me to feel prejudice against them?_' "Sagratia. However, I'd rather be specific on the province the journalist was from, which was _Irayne_. Now, you might be wondering why I include this, but the story goes that _Sgrena_ was being held hostage by _Osmandedean_ insurgents. If anything, the troops who were trying to assist Kairne just happened to miscalculate the trajectory. A common mistake that virtually anyone could had made, not just a Sagratian."

He then smirked at Anthony's appalled expression; that would teach him to be so biased. '_Come on. Give me some sort of question that I could actually think for more than a microsecond..._'

"I guess it's my turn,_ Tari-sensei_..." Nora's voice cut him back into reality. Looking deep into her aquamarine eyes, Taritsu found himself fading with her vulnerable look; it was like that appearance she had when they were both reliant with one another several months ago—when she confided in him to protect her from her father. True, he found her stubborn attitude rather similar to his mother (a fact he didn't want to tell either of them about) but the girl's inclusive nature was enough to keep him interested in the friendship. Especially considering how she also reminded him of someone he met when he was about four or five years old with that attitude she shared of science; would he ever get to meet that person again at all?

"Well, I'm not so certain if you remember this, but my question involves being able to remember personal history. Please don't feel offended by it, but... could you recall the time when you were little. Around nine or ten years into the past?"

He silently nodded. Nora wasn't really getting on his nerves—in fact, she was merely helping him jog his memory. A fact he'd like to thank her for—had they not been busy administering the inquisition at the moment.

"Well... about that time, you had been friends with someone else. Someone who had listened to your burdens."

'_Definitely reminds me of Euphemia. No one else really fits that description._' He was never really going to acknowledge it, but the person she was referring to was a phantom in his mind. With all that she was trying to explain, Taritsu was hoping that Nora wasn't going to push on that issue anymore than he'd like. Especially considering the fact that he felt rather broken with what she was stating.

Never did he feel a stronger need to get out of Vejita's grip in his life at that moment than any other time in his life before.

"... this person I'm speaking about, it isn't Euphie-chan that you told me about." Nora then softly whispered. "_I'm speaking about that person who told you with earnest, genuine concern for your feelings: when they spoke of that phrase that you kept close to your heart._" She then closed the distance a bit more than he was comfortable with, making him squirm underneath Vejita in an attempt to leave the room. That was soon brought to an end as she placed her hands on his shoulders.

With a final whisper, Nora ended her inquisition as she had acknowledged her hypothesis was spot on. It wouldn't really matter if he could answer the question though; she just needed him to keep it in mind while the others finished by instilling him with the mindset he needed for the upcoming trial. "_Do you remember the phrase?_"

* * *

It wasn't her intention to listen in on them; in fact, it was never the intention for Charlotte to eavesdrop on what they were doing with their friend and ally. She didn't know how to react, but one thing was for certain—had Stephanie not followed her, she wouldn't have known how she would react to the news which Taritsu revealed with that statement of his.

'_But... he's still, himself, is he not_—_?_' She caught the grim look which Stephanie had as she heard those words as well. Charlotte wasn't exactly aware of the fact that Stephanie and Taritsu had known each other as children; she had just recently learned from Nora that he had coincidentally been friends with a person nicknamed Euphie. It wasn't possible that Euphie was also Stephanie—the name was just a coincidence.

'_Right...?_'

"The concern you two show for your friend is commendable," cut in the voice of none other than Amadeus Quinn. Standing with his hands in his pockets, the director began cleaning a checkered top hat which was an heirloom of the family for decades to come; his father before him had been given that as a gift of one of his former friend—the Hadou master, William "Cilan" Zeferi—and he intended to keep it in great condition until it was time to pass it on to his own son.

However, the top hat wasn't Amadeus' concern as he was currently more aware of the teen's dilemma which the others hadn't picked up on yet. '_Anthony may had noticed it by now though. That boy has a great knack for things like this; definitely worthy of being part of the revived crusaders, if what Johannes said was true..._'

Placing the hat back on his head, Amadeus informed the girls of what he knew intimately on the matter. Sighing as he was disappointed with Taritsu's nature of taking things so harshly, the director revealed the grave news with one, swift phrase.

"Taritsu, in words which I wish I could describe alternatively to how it is now... well, concerning his own history—"

"—_I'm unable to remember, Nora._"

They didn't want to believe his words. Had it been said by anyone else, they would had laughed it off and state that they were pulling their leg. Heck, both girls believed that Taritsu was playing a joke on them—a cruel, sick joke. However, as the moments passed, and his serious expression remained altogether while everyone was awaiting for him to add on to his explanation, the girls were subjected to his broken, wavering tone of voice as he revealed what was currently bothering him.

"I remember facts, scientific details and quirks of nature that are presumably of anything that isn't myself." He started, bringing his arms over his head to become much more comfortable with his restraints. "I can remember dates, of events which had passed by clearly, of interactions that have—to some degree—indirectly involved me... but asking me of who I am, and what I've done? That's a question all together which I want to know; I'm frightened by this revelation that's irking me, which stokes the ire of the populous and which continuously causes reasons for the general public to come against us."

He then shifted his wrists together, manipulating it in a way which came instinctively to him; the exact manner in which Amadeus had become familiar with while observing the old leader of the International Science Foundation: Juliano Marzo. Forcing his restraints to break against the force which he exerted, Taritsu immediately calmed those who were startled—then returned to his pessimistic speech of the doomed reality he was facing.

"However, Taritsu Maurice Kyousuke Rutabaski is whom the world is angered with; they want him to face retribution for actions which no one else can take responsibility for... but I'm also afraid of where the distinction of the truth and their reactions will lead me to. Nora, for this reason, I'm not going to cheat by asking Bass for my memories that I stored in him; I don't want to know what sort of actions I've done... what sort of wrongdoings I've tolerated over my unfair life."

"_Why_?"The question cut him off with such an icy chill. He could feel how disturbed she was by his speech, but the boy had already made up his mind.

Vejita had been tolerating many things since the kid had been growing up with many oppositions: his public disapproval, the social suicides he made, the assassination attempts (which many have still tried, although that seemed to calm down ever since after they found out he had that bestial transformation), and the depressing manner of which he gave in to the will of others to avoid conflicts. He disliked how this young boy would—with such pride—withhold all his pains and sufferings, mainly out of concern for the anxious minds of others, so that they wouldn't have to deal with his problems as well.

If one were to ask Vejita, Taritsu was the martyr who dreamed endlessly for a peace to become reality; it was the very same conclusion which Stephanie Euphemia came to acknowledge as well as she heard him speak his mind. He wasn't entirely gone—his mind may have lost several key aspects of his own character, but the feelings and intentions which were an integral part of his being were still prominent as he made himself clear to them.

'_Of course, why would I have worried so much for him if this isn't something dire of Kyousuke. He's always been optimistic; well, nowadays more of a realist due to all that impending drama, but still surprisingly optimistic about things._'

"Look, I know that the years you spent being raised have led you to develop this guilt complex... but that doesn't mean you have to bottle up all this pain. Can you remember what our Hadou Mentor taught us—about _Satsui no Hadou_? Remember that we both know that there is more to like than simple labels and categorizations; no one is truly a complete monster.

While looking away from the man due to feeling the shame that he brought upon him, Taritsu briefly evaluated everything that he had learned of Tarres, their sensei whom was referred to as Gouken.

Knowing that the silence was maddening, Paula decided popping a question which was bothering her from what her brother had stated just a few moments ago. It was just as rude to had asked it, but Paula was deeply interested with his own characterization; they would most likely try to illustrate him as a deviant—so asking along the lines of what he could remember of himself and Brolli was necessary, especially if those who were going to interrogate him were investigating deeply into his profile.

"Brolli~~~? Yeah, I do recall someone like you're describing. To be honest, I feel kind of apathetic when you described him, but... I think I might be grieving for his tragic fall." He didn't know what his past was filled with, but Taritsu held enough of the residue feelings to comprehend how powerless and fearsome he was to have brought the teenager to tears right before passing away from fright.

"Anyway, we're digressing from the main issue of the trial's implications: if they figure out where the ISF is located, and that both Anthony and I are residing here for the majority of our adolescent youth, then the problem will be terrorist organizations and "our world visitors" knowing where we're most vulnerable."

Both Nora and Paula held quizzical looks as they were unaware of what he meant by that term. Fortunately for them, they didn't need to verbally express their questions, and neither did they have to guess what his plan was for handling the upcoming trial. Giving Nora and Paula a quick wave that indicated to them that he would return, the Rutabaski primogeniture left in the brief moment in which they blinked—yet didn't return once they opened their eyes as he typically had.

'_Wha_—_?_'

A quick rush of air brought their attention once more, showing the boy at the frame of the door as he was quickly drained of his energy by surprise. Not one to like causing his friends and loved ones worry, he decided to lie on the reason as to what his drastic loss of speed was from.

"Sorry, I was just taking a while to find this." He gave the girls a short pamphlet which held all the information he needed on the project which Shizuka convinced him to work on. Of course, she did convinced him to work on it as it was still an idea on a forum; just the other day he was curious as to what information the world wide web held on the ecological project—which had turned out that he was a registered scientist on the project. Just who else was working on it was mysterious to him.

"Anyhow, this here is what will be my reason for working at SEGA—and don't add more concern for anyone on my well-being, please. They have enough to worry as it is." He stated, knowing that Paula and Nora would report the fact that he lost most of his personal history to his parents. Fortunately, they wouldn't dare mess around like that—just as he wouldn't mess around with Anthony's family matters either. "Anthony, you're a bit trickier to explain for your reason being with us, so I suggest you not appearing at all at the trial. Don't take the risk of contacting any of us either; I don't want you to share some of the heat as well... not while they're trying to discredit my family because of what I am. Got that?"

Nodding without much to protest, the group soon found themselves finishing up with the last of Taritsu's agendas, then left one by one as they had to report back to the adults on what they had came to an agreement with. The last of those to have remained were the adopted siblings, but as much as Paula wanted to ask him what she had on her mind, she held back on it as she noticed his beady eyes moving from one side of the room to the other—showing his withheld anxiety as he had kept tabs on the girls that had been overhearing them. '_I really shouldn't have to make them worry about me so much; Paula's much the same, but I'm rather certain that its better to lie now_—_and keep reinforcing the lies until its over._'

It was an ironic thought which Taritsu Rutabaski held onto; now having little control of his own ability's developments, he found himself having to resort to petty tactics to ease the anxiety off of his loved ones. Quite similar to his own mother's methods, but what the boy was most concerned about wasn't the fact that he needed to keep them safe from themselves.

That of which he wished for them was their happiness and relaxation to be guaranteed.

'_This political engagement won't last more than it'll have to,_' he thought, looking directly into the eyes of his childhood friend with an odd warmth towards the both of them. He needed to ensure that the Allied Nations wouldn't impede more than they needed to in ruining their lives; especially since he, whoever his new identity would take form of, would need to take responsibility until further notice on the progress of repairing Taritsu's memories.

'_Otherwise,_' he took a quick glance over at the doorway, seeing Karalynne smile sweetly at him as she made eye contact with him. The Tepelny daughter was someone who [while not on her herself to reasonably fear] people were wary of as she was one of the prized females of the Jakarta province, and he'd definitely have a price to pay once the trial was over. '...t_his will be a tough responsibility to handle indeed._'

* * *

Finished with reporting the data on the subject, the Tsufuru-jins in charge with the Pyrastrenean clone were contemplating what they could do with the information provided to them by the field agent: Artemis.

"It seems that the cause of Johnstonii's ire also shares the same potential as the subject."

"Indeed. But there is little we can do to attain information."

A devious thought reared into the mind of the first speaker. Having thought of reaching out to the population years ago, a collaborative project would had been finished years ago if it weren't for Johnstonii's interference. Additionally, it seemed that several members of the colony were easily getting along with the general public, managing to camouflage as one of their own for the time being. '_Perhaps it is possible for I to do the same._'

"Barry, Erik, Nadia. Do you mind working with me on an experiment? Besides what we're currently doing for the colony, of course?"

"Sure... but, we must ask: What is it?" They asked with great intrigue on the matter.

He smirked, loving the idea of being able to promote the performance of the colony with the developments he had in mind for years. "Nothing that would place us at risk." Then, taking a small marker from the table, he drew a diagram based on the data Artemis had provided. Satisfied, he circled the final part of the diagram, emphasizing his intentions with the idea. "It's high time that I, Amphalo Aneditis, try my hand at the so called political game which these backwards intellectuals struggle developing solutions—ruled by ego and fear."


	28. Chapter 28

**Arc III**

**Chapter 4**

**Persona**

* * *

March 17th, 1948. Most of the world's leaders were gathering at the Manhattan Turtle bay, overlooking the East River which they had come to a mutual agreement as the chosen complex of the Allied Nations Council. While most would rather not step into Sagratian territories since the incidents taking place during the of 1941 between the Boruvian Empire and their army's unwarranted trespassing, the world leaders tolerated the inconvenience as they had been personally called into the meeting by a special host: the world renown scientist—Kairne's very own "Man of Tomorrow"—Juliano Marzo Rutabaski.

Taking their seats, it could be seen that accompanying among the _Padrone_ of Kairne was Mario Zeferi and the former Kairnese regent as well. However, they were not so afflicted by the 41 year old woman's presence. What made most of the world leaders uneasy was the menacing aura which the _Padrone_ was casting off as he overlooked the roster, noticing that those who were missing among them were the current Ambassadors of Falyen and Mirova.

'_Primo_ _Romano_ _was telling me earlier that those two were having a bit trouble handling a resurgence among their political structure._' Juliano eyed his aunt Valeria, knowing that what she would think of him interfering with those nations wouldn't be exactly easy for him to swallow the heat of her wrath. Having seen how Mario had become a father himself, he could understand why his aunt was so overprotective of him; to her he was a precious little one, and not easy to feel completely assured of his safety as he would always—by some manner of what he could—examine that of which he saw in life (and existence) around him. Hopefully little Cesare wouldn't be too much trouble for his friend.

"Well, since most of us are here... I'd like to start the meeting off with a bit of insight as to how our nations are handling. I'm quite assured that Falyen and Mirova are sidetracked by their own affairs, so the main event of today's meeting can await while they arrive. In the mean time, let us inquire how we've progressed so far." He looked around the room, seeing how the Ambassadors and leaders weren't feeling confident with his booming voice of command.

Quite a natural response, as it was the 30 year old man's developed set of lungs that allowed him to project himself without the assistance of any acoustic-to-electric transducer as many would rely on to garner the attention of the audience. Fortunately, since he was the son of a war hero and the Castellano princess, in addition to his status as the latest in the lineage of Rutabaskis, Juliano Marzo wasn't all that troubled with capturing the attention of the assembly before him.

'_It also helps that I stand at 195 centimeters, but then again_—_I don't really think they've associated my height with my capacity to fight on that alone._'

Signaling the current host so that he may speak, the Pyrastre Ambassador thought it best to report what the nation was handling on the matters of a treaty that they were amending from a previous meeting. "Our neighbors, Sagratia, haven't been playing within the rules lately. We've yet to see them properly sign a contract, and it's been far too long since we've established a period of peace on international terms between Sagratia and Pyrastre."

He spoke with the referral to the nuclear testing which the nation had been tempering with as of lately. It was indeed of concern to many of the leaders sitting in the assembly taking place, but Juliano Marzo—especially Valeria—were concerned by the implications which Pyrastre's Ambassador was placing on the table with calling out their neighbors so openly. The Pyrastreneans were never one to take things lightly; it was always a serious matter handling politics with them, and they seemed to respect Kairne for their ability to handle political matters with the flexibility which the current _Padrone_ was able to express.

'_Oh man, I better urge them not to fight before we've even started. Why did our forefathers had to ignore the potential of a flood?_' It was incredibly annoying having to deal with the fact that the neighboring superpowers weren't separated by their natural barriers (which had been comprised of glacial ice). However, even more annoying was how they seemed to make everything a competition between them; always bringing up their petty, historical rivalry with one another whenever given the chance. Currently, one of their competition had involved the issue of who among them had the better government system, making for a rather intriguing competition between what one would recognize as communism and subtle authoritarianism. Of course, since Kairne was not to let things go out of control—it was up to them to step in and keep the two from involving any other nations that were simply trying to get by relatively peacefully.

Before he was able to reply, the doors creaked open slightly, enough to allow two men of indigenous appearance of their respective nations that they represented, gave Juliano an apologetic quote for having been delaying the meeting, and sat down in their designated seats.

"Err, seems like we're able to get the meeting started," Juliano nervously chuckled, having been beat by the Ambassador to the topic of the day's meeting before they were even going to start. "Funny thing, Maliki, you just happened to have spoken about what I wanted to explain."

Taking to signaling his old time best friend, Juliano was able to display a series of images that Kairne's intelligence was able to report on the confrontation between the Sagratian's military and several developing island nations that were under Boruvian authority.

"Thank you for the images, Mario. I'm certain that these will reveal what my main concern for the meeting is."

As they had shifted through the images, Juliano continued speaking in detail what it was that exactly arose concern between the incident he was trying to keep from escalating. Knowing that Maliki was knowledgeable on the matter as well, he prompted the question of what amendments had their nation developed.

"Since 1946, the proposal of this "_Holaska Treaty_" has been elusive. We're concerned with the references of an ethnicity that you spoke of, and it is rather strange that you basically written that we acknowledge a population in your continent be left alone. While we don't exactly have a problem with that, the definition of the ethnicity you speak of—the traits that they all wield that helps us determine who is part of that population—seems to be too vague. I'm certain that not everyone of the ethnicity will remain in that territory; emigration would still exist, and that would arise problems if we're not careful with how the treatment of these individuals are administered. That is why Boruvia's Emperor acted so hostile when Sagratia set off a nuclear weapon nearby an area of refuge as their government had reported."

Certain murmuring could be heard as the Ambassadors continued discussing on the actions of Sagratia. They had posed a risk to refugees—causing the Emperor to respond as if it were a preemptive strike for a war. Fortunately, Pyrastre was able to intervene by assisting Kairne in relocating those people, but the Emperor was still angered by what had happened seven years ago. The reason that it had not escalated as such was probably due in part to the Emperor having been spoken to directly by Juliano Marzo, but they never really seen each other on amiable terms.

"That, of which the Pyrastrenean _Gaijin_ speaks—it is wise in his part to have discussed the likelihood of such issues arising."

At that point, everyone turned their heads to see a man with a stubble beard in uniform walking into the room with a katana and two armed attendants on either of his sides. Ensuring that they wouldn't be startled to taking his intrusion as a hostile takeover or anything of the like, the man held his palm up to keep everyone from taking any steps closer to either direction, then spoke in his native language to his attendants as he was more concerned by the likelihood of having his own ideas added into the treaty they were speaking of.

"I know that my Empire is not part of your so called Alliance of Nations, but let us be reasonable men and agree that what I would like for you to hear me out on is of the same concern you all have for the refugees that the _Ameria Baijo_ put at risk for research." He stated, solemnly granting Juliano a respective bow, placing his hand over in salute to the man who was aiding him in his cause.

Most of the Assembly was skeptical of the man; they had known that the Emperor's father—Prince Michinomiya Yoshi—was never truly able to take up any formal duties as the Emperor during the Great War. It was—however—known that the Emperor did not want to take sides with anyone during the World War, and although he was against being involved, Michinomiya Yoshi felt an admiration for the _Padrone_ Tarique Rutabaski when it was known throughout the world that he was conquering without taking lives. Of course, because the former Emperor was born sickly, and the fact that many of the Boruvian Parliament were divided in taking sides with the "Allies of the West" or the "World Centrals", his son was unfortunately left with the decision for that task in the fateful night of 1916—as Prince Regent of the Boruvian Empire.

"My gratitude towards your father, Rutabaski-san, is beyond what can naturally be described. As a young man of the age of 17, I was forced to take up the mantle of my family's Empire—and had it not been for your father's example, I believe that we would had to resorted to violence."

The man soon turned to face Valeria, recognized her appearance, and chuckled lightly as he had come to realize his own rude behavior in not saluting her from the beginning. "So _Tomentos_—or should I say, "_Valogna-sama_"—has graced us with her very presence." He briefly commented with his rhetoric, but soon made it clear that he was not intending any malice by it. "I do not say this often, but as a woman, your abilities are far superior to my own."

Giving the woman the hilt of his blade, the Emperor immediately bowed his head, making certain that all of them know that the Kairnese were the ones in power among them. Of course, that was what the Ambassadors were thinking by the display, but Valeria remained a bit skeptical over the matter.

'_Best I not refuse..._' "It isn't something I find pleasurable in seeing others submit to me, but please—stand as an equal among us, _Michinomiya_—."

"_Michinomiya_ is the surname of my father: one which I can not uptake for I am not allowed that honor." He continued mumbling a few lines, indistinctly in his native language as a response to his attendants who had stepped forward to apprehend Valeria for having basically dishonored the Emperor, but that was soon settled as he showed him his death glare which most have come to recognize back at the homeland. '_No... I can't take up the name. Not since I keep acting brashly_—_as opposed to my father's patience._'

Taking back to giving Valeria eye contact, he sighed. It was best that he inform them what mattered at the current moment—than to allow them any access to his vulnerabilities in his personal life. "We aren't acquainted as allies... at least not at the personal level—but since you are the younger sibling... I suppose that, by association, means that I must refer to you as my _sensei_, and it wouldn't feel right having you refer to me as the public title which others have to deal with... then I may be spoken by my birth name: Matsui Shiro."

Then, without wasting a single moment with that said, Shiro jumped back towards the topic which he wanted to discuss in the beginning of the meeting: the Holaska Treaty which the Alliance was going over to determine pragmatic principles they could acknowledge. Knowing that the Pyrastrenean Ambassador had asked the question that properly allowed them to decide who would be affected by the ruling, Matsui Shiro decided to enlighten them of what he had known. It was a decision which Valeria was not happy with, but the Emperor made it clear that he did not come to disrupt anyone's perceptions (or lives) for the sake of his desire to protect the ethnicity which was threatened by the nuclear testing.

"_Rutabaski-san_, you wield a fuzzy appendage, do you not?"

Juliano, appalled by his knowledge, was unable to reply for a moment~just a moment though!

It was enough for the men to have connected the question with what they came to know of the implications of the ethnicity—and the past. Taking this to its logical extreme, both the Sagratian and Pyrastrenean representatives reacted first, along with the others who were leaving their seats to quickly apprehend the Kairnese leader before he could leave their sights.

Unfortunately, with all this chaos, one of the attendants—a man who was extremely prejudice and vengeful over the matter of which had to do with the people his beloved Emperor was seeking to protect—took it as his duty to handle the hostile reactions that the assembly was behaving in. This did not go unnoticed by Shiro's instinctual reactions that he had developed over the years thanks to the rough childhood he grew up with.

It was at that moment that all the men in the assembly fell silent as they heard the raspy voice of the dying attendant... and saw the outstretched aftermath of the two finger technique that the 124th Boruvian Emperor had used, whilst also having displayed a unreadable expression from their angle of view. How exactly could he have murdered the man without much regret was one of their first questions, but the second (and more mind-racking) was their inability to comprehend how Matsui Shiro was able to have done such a thing without being armed!

"_D-Did you_...?"

Releasing another sigh after shifting his gaze over to the remaining attendant of his and seeing him tense up, Shiro told him to not bother thinking that the same fate would befall on him. Not unless _he too_ wielded a concealed weapon that would have taken the life of the men who had provoked the foolish attendant. '_This is why my father disapproved of my behavior._' He calmly reflected over his extreme action, but concluded that it was best not to display weakness to the Alliance as he needed to show them that it wasn't the simple matter of a tail that could bring them to argue over the calamity and issues of the past bringing about another world war. '_But... it is a necessary evil of mine that I've come to accept. I am not a villain, but my sins are enough to keep Rutabaski from being unjustly seen as one._'

"That, Ambassadors of the world, is a skill which I possess." He stated, gently shaking off the feeling he had in his fingers due to the energy manipulation attack that he released to handle the traitor.

With the anxiety crippling them at the knowledge of Matsui Shiro's ability, the Alliance members all stepped away from Juliano Marzo, doing what they believed was what the man wanted of them; an appeasement that would allow them to live just a bit longer—at least, that's what they believed was what the Emperor wanted before dishing out the same fate to them. His laughter, however, made them see it otherwise. "Ambassadors—what I had done had nothing to do with any of you. I did not intend in threatening you, nor did I intend to save you; this mongrel that had been at my side just happened to break one of the tenets which we abide to, and it is of my responsibility to take care of our own."

He then briefly shifted his head over to acknowledge the remaining attendant, knowing that it was best if he had someone to back him up in his monologue. "Correct, _Joon_?"

The man swallowed in fear of facing his own punishment, but found the strength to nod in agreement. That didn't seem to appease his Emperor though, and once hearing him growl lowly, Joon immediately tensed in his current position and verbally confirmed that statement as absolute fact.

"At any rate, it wouldn't benefit you if I don't elaborate my question prior to this chaos." Shiro started once again. "You see, men... what you all know of the tailed ones and the association Fabian Valentine made of Rutabaski and his people... it is not entirely correct. The ethnicity which the veterans of the Great War had faced, as I'm sure _Valogna-sama_ can confirm, is not based on the status of a tail alone. These people have extended youths, allowing them to fight longer, their physiology allows them to endure a great deal of punishment, and their healing rates are rather extraordinary. By definition, they would seem like the right type for a policing race, but that isn't something which we can confirm."

Hearing these words, Marzo noticed his aunt was acting—rather uncomfortable. She didn't seem to be taking the Emperor's words lightly, and was highly anxious at the moment which he had stated that having a tail wasn't something that completely categorized him as one of those members of the population. '_Tia Valeria, she seems to know much more of the secrets. Darker ones..._' Seeing the middle aged woman stop jittering from the fright and send him a reassuring smile, however... Juliano decided not to ask his aunt what she knew of the exact details which Matsui Shiro was spouting.

"Then what does make an individual qualify for the ethnicity, Emperor—?"

"Simple, Rutabaski-san, simple." Shiro cut off the Padrone off before he would complete his sentence. He didn't want the man to call him by the title; not after having punished someone with death in front of their very eyes. "You've heard of the tales which the world had spoken of before the 20th century—specifically before the Retrogression War Era?"

They couldn't exactly deny that they hadn't; it was still spoken of in text books, and many of the world's governments had recognized such a complicated past that involved Rutabaski as a champion of the heavens. However, not everyone accepted the facts wholly.

"That delusional spouting of the so called "Gods" can't really be something you believe in,_ Padrone Rutabaski_. There is only one God, and it is _The Lord_—."

It was at that moment that the Sagratian and Grunde Shrutzen representatives glared menacingly at the Chapelurean Ambassador. They did not like how the Boruvian Emperor was impatiently waiting for the man to shut his mouth; the possibility of him being next of those to feel the man's wrath was quite high, especially since part of the reason Boruvia was suffering during the Great War was due part to not having surrendered to Chapelure's will and convert to their beliefs.

Such an awful past was definitely enough reason for Matsui Shiro to avenge the suffering of those unlucky members who had to suffer their onslaught, but the Emperor calmed down significantly as the Kairnese leader acknowledged his words. "That may be so, _Chapelurean Baijo_, but to the rest of the world... the existence of the Sword of Evil's Bane which was wielded by Rutabaski's father is proof that there are divinities that existed aside from this All-Mighty Father which you speak."

Signaling for his remaining attendant to reveal the parchments which he had prepared for visual aid, Shiro began speaking once more—but this time on the matter of a Unified Race Theory which had been part of historical records which had been stored away by professors who had collaborated around the world prior to the outbreak of the war. "This here, men, is the record which has been responsible for a majority of the revolutions which your nations have to thank for. In particular, it is Xetsu Rutabaski—The First Rutabaski—who was tasked by none other than _Amaterasu_ herself~."

Shiro coughed into his fist, noticing that the Ambassadors weren't following him with the term he had used to refer to The Great Mother. Having been used to hearing the title for the woman in stories as he had referred to her just then, Shiro was a bit ashamed by stating her personal name—the very same which all governments, men, and children—knew intimately as _Seiya_. "Forgive me. Amaterasu is what we refer to as Seiya's position as a deity, but I assure you, I am speaking of the very same which you all have in mind just now."

Muttering among themselves of what he had just said, Shiro dug his sharp nails into his palms, feeling quite angered by the insult which they had made him do against that noble, holy woman which was the mother of their race. Acting quickly with the knowledge having been revealed, Mario Zeferi reminded the assembly of details which Shiro hadn't officially state as of that moment.

"Of course, it was Rutabaski who The Great Mother tasked with the quest to save the land and the sky. While not exactly sure what it was meant by that, it is clear that he was one of the earliest few to have access to the holy power of _hagio-sendo_... and under his guidance that the rest of her children—our brethren around the world—were lead into an Era of Prosperity and Peace." Mario slightly tilted his head to the side, bringing his thumb and forefinger under his chin to express an indication of curiosity with that said. "Wait a minute: the ethnicity that you're referring to involves each and every one of us! Could it be possible that what you're alluding to here... is that we should do just that... but what kind of intentions does someone like you have for world domination?"

His laughter filled the room, having been thoroughly amused by Mario Zeferi enough for one day. Shiro wasn't one to take things without lashing out, especially since Mario had just convicted him of the possibility of enslaving all of their species. Actually, not everyone was up to speed to that conclusion; most still imagined that they were different races, and it was something which Shiro knew all too well since his youth. He'd have them learn that such claims weren't foolish jibberish—nor would he allow them to think it an opportunity to take over for their own personal agendas either.

"You... I take it by your similar appearance: you're either from the same family or just happen to have been born within similar demographics. Irregardless, I'll disregard this insolence that you accused me of."

Having felt that the Boruvian Emperor was going to harm his close companion, Juliano quickly stepped in between the two.., only to find himself being explained what Shiro's knowledge of the ethnicity they wanted to define silence him.

"Ethnicity... is not based on appearances alone. It is something we cannot determine by our physical nature alone, but of both cultural values and personal traditions. What your Holaska Treaty is trying to salvage is based on vague details, Rutabaski—and until I can see that you aren't simply working through the processes which the political standards of the modern world partakes in... then we cannot be allies."

Bowing towards Valeria as it was custom to do so before taking his leave, Matsui Shiro left them all with the chilling comment that cemented his position in the world—but also catalyzed the treaty into a certain policy that they would implement. "Our people can be divided into four subgroups—each skilled in one of their greatest skills which one can associate with. The Kairnese seem a bit bestial, but they are also intellectuals and sages, along with having the affinity for battle and manipulation of the reality around us. I myself do not naturally use those traits, but I have practiced... and have been able to freely control some traits of my personal being: specifically, my life-force."

"We're all of the same race, ambassadors. It's just that our cultural differences and values have divided us into mastering these aspects at varying degrees, separating us and building this hypothetical segregation which I despise with your interactions of fantastical racial comments and judgements betraying one another. As it is also my belief that YOU—Rutabaski—are a cowardly fool."

It was finally when Joon returned to his side after picking the cadaver of the traitor up that Shiro finally muttered the final advice which he lived by, and stood by as his personal creed. "Might. Controls. Everything." '..._And without strength to face this terrible discrimination, you cannot save anyone_—_let alone yourself._'

* * *

She really didn't want to believe the account which her family's old friend was telling her at that very moment. However, from what she learned of Tarres' tale on the matter, her own grandfather had been a cold-blooded despot who didn't hesitate to punish someone for stepping out of line.

Almost like a foreshadowing of her own enjoyment of having indulged in such a similar activity to protect her own husband from being killed off by petty criminals. The worst of the matter was that one of them had to have been a member of Boruvia's most influential families—almost setting up the conditions for the remaining family members to have something against her father, had it not been for the carefully devised plan of Sedrick and Vasilis.

"...That was how your grandfather had managed to keep the Alliance from rejecting the Holaska Treaty, _Yanagi-sama_." Spoke the old Hadou master as he finished cleaning the equipment which he was preparing for the cleansing of his pupil. Accompanying the mother was her husband, their first-born son—and lastly—Vejita who had been tasked with the responsibility of looking after him as of last night, and unfortunately found himself having to rest once they had arrived before the old master. Both Rutabaski males were intrigued by what Tarres had spoken of, but the son was much more intrigued by the fact that the man was able to recall such a tale if he hadn't been there to have witnessed it first hand himself.

"Hmm? Oh... your maternal and paternal great grandparents weren't really close—but their respect for one another was on the same terms as how—let me think for a bit—in much the same way as you and Vejita have treated one another. A friendly rivalry, but the late Emperor was not one to lower his guard. Sure he trusted Marzo, but in order to keep him with high approval ratings around the world... Emperor "_Shōwa_" Matsui had to make everyone else think that he was the bad guy, making it seem that Juliano was saving his son from his wrath. The Emperor didn't want the general public to think that the two were conspiring in uniting the world under the same creed; that being said: Shōwa decided on edging everyone on to think that the path which Rutabaski was leading was most favorable, therefore, the best out of everyone else's philosophies." Said the old mentor as he silently urged the boy to come closer.

"Then, does that mean that my grandfather was an ambitious man?"

"By definition." Tarres simply replied, taking a deep breath and focusing his thoughts on utilizing the power which should draw out the boy's abilities. Having been told by Sedrick earlier of the incident which had been described as a chilling transformation which he had only heard of in tales, Tarres was quite curious of how serious the condition was for the boy. If he was truly subject to the effects, then his ability would pop out if disturbed and angered—which was not something the family would want during the hearing happening tomorrow. "However, I knew the man: a friend of my mentor, and very much loved the people that are known as _Saiyans_ to the ill-informed."

"Goutetsu—better known as _Abdul Che Brunei_—was the Hadou mentor who taught many of the variations to Catalina's mother, and spent his time perfecting control over his own abilities. Due to the fact he was cautious with himself accidentally unleashing havoc, Abdul would spend most of his later years out in the world—isolated from people and keeping out from being involved in the war. I sought him out from my own country in _Lonia_ (located in North-Eastern Kairne), and happened to come across the Emperor while travelling there." Tarres spoke, remembering the memory of that incident like it had been freshly etched into his mind. He wouldn't forget the introduction he had with Matsui Shiro; that man had a soft spot for the Saiyans, and he almost would had suffered had it not been for the fortune he had in having presented Shiro the worn karate gi which he had been informed was custom for the locals to wear. "Those were some of my most demanding years, especially since I constantly had to prove myself—but I digress..."

Being intrigued by the old mentor's knowledge of the past, Sedrick asked him of what he knew of the man, including how it came to be that his in-law became so distant.

"Funny you ask, Sedrick." Gouken stated while finishing up with the preparations. Now readied for the ritual, Tarres softly told his former pupil to keep calm while he evaluated him for any maladies that resided inside of him. Immediately finding a sort of blockade around in his ki flow, Tarres' eyes widened, but he soon noticed that it was rather convenient for the boy.

"What? Is there something terribly wrong with our son, Tarres?"

Taking a few steps away from the parents so that they wouldn't find themselves harmed by their actions, Tarres silently led the boy in a stoic manner which he had purposely used to observe any disturbances arising from the boy. Fortunately, it seemed his nature was calmed and collected, and still retained a sort of erratic behavior that he had as a child. '_There's a small hint of shyness in him; could he be conflicted by some sort of trauma?_'

He noticed how the boy was behaving rather troubled, likely knowing what he had in mind with his situation. Problem was... Taritsu's memories were returning, and they were frightening him due to what emotions he associated them with.

"N-None at all Sedrick. I'm just surprised is all." He replied after having reached the preferred distance he needed to test the boy. "Did you deprive him of sleep and kept him fasting as I asked of you?"

The couple eyed one another, trying to confirm if there was any moment in which their son may have refreshed himself while they weren't looking. They soon noticed how Vejita was stirring awake, and found him immediately stand guard as Sedrick had given him the signal which Vasilis had conditioned into the young adult as he was growing up. Confused—but alert—Vejita informed them of the truth, resulting in Tarres giving off a satisfied chuckle. "Very well. Vejita—I wouldn't normally condone this, but attack the boy using an energy-infused punch."

"WHAT?"

"I would do it myself, but I'm not a "_viable enough threat_" in the eyes of my former student."

"Are you saying that I'm a delinquent, _sensei_?"

Tarres sighed. "No. I'm simply aware that there are some people he deeply respects, and wouldn't dare harm. You in the other hand as I've been informed, like to challenge the boy in various violent, risky behavior."

Giving in to his explanation, Vejita swallowed his pride and obliged towards the orders which Tarres told him to follow. Within a split moment which had been enough for Yanagi to recover her awareness of the situation, they soon found that the two adolescents were feeling resistance in a strange, yet revealing form which Tarres had predicted moments ago.

The fist of which Vejita threw had been caught by the boy's tail, while his head had shifted over to the side and catapulting him backwards—all in a casual as he hadn't consciously intended to do so.

"Just as suspected; his subconscious has been further awakened!"

The rest of the group did not understand what the old man was speaking of, but Vejita finally realized what his former mentor meant by using him as the one to test the boy. Begrudgingly, he rubbed his head as it had bumped into the ground forcefully, but didn't hold it against the boy as what he did was to be expected.

"Let me explain to you what I mean, Sedrick," began once more the old mentor. "You see, from what your father had been revealed about two weeks ago, you and your family members are part of the Saiyan population. Yanagi is the daughter of Kaido Daisuke, who is in turn the son of Matsui Shiro and his concubine; had Shiro been able to properly been engaged with the woman in a relationship, he would have had his other children closely looked after by your grandfather, but that wasn't the case. Daisuke was the only one who was born of a Saiyan woman." He informed them of the unfaithfulness that the former Emperor indulged in, but soon found themselves understanding that the man had always been plagued by complexity and misunderstandings.

"As for the Rutabaski lineage, you can thank the liberation—which the Teutons, Galatians (ancient Solnese people), and the Basques had collaborated to accomplish—for concentrating a high percentage of the ethnic groups to interact. It is what The Great Mother wanted us as a race to behave like, to rely on one another and strive for improvement. There are some who acknowledge this information, and wish to exploit it to create a master race to dominate the world; that is what Emperor Shōwa wanted to avoid by having Juliano Marzo construct a perfect version of the Holaska Treaty. Being a part of that population, you're likely to naturally have abilities that the other ethnicities have and are feared for being part of it, especially since Taritsu here seems to wield highly advanced genetics. Fortunately though, there is a few inconsistencies, such as your intolerance to hadou emissions; that would mean not everyone has the same output capacity, though the potential is there indeed." '_It would just take a lot of determination to develop an army with such an inconvenient waiting period though._'

They were taking in the information with great interest, but the family was still highly concerned of what they were going to do about their son; they were highly aware that the engagement was most likely causing some to suspect that they were conspiring some malevolent plot, or that someone else might take advantage of their child's unique existence to benefit from the super-soldier serum which WUSS had tried to extract before with both males. Not to mention that Tarres had yet to reveal what he meant by Taritsu's subconscious having to do with anything of his current concern.

Vejita, having known it intimately well, had decided revealing what he knew. "Back when he had his accident as a preteen, around when both of you went over to the conferences for that week in September 2001, Taritsu was in much the same state as he is now."

"Which is why I asked you to bring him with similar conditions, since this allows for his subconscious to deal with things in a state of survival instincts. Some call it_ Wild Sense_, and it's theorized to be a step below their spirit guardian, "_i.e. Oras/Alters/Stand_", taking form, and likely influencing their behavior or actions. Taritsu, when I evaluated him before taking him in as a student had his slightly active—just not fully completed. That's quite normal for some with extraordinarily powerful will-power, but considering the fact that..." Tarres went on rambling to himself, deciding whether or not he should reveal a crucial fact to the parents.

"What? Speak up, Tarres; don't keep us in the dark, please!"

Tarres walked over to whisper the secret to the parents, and them alone; he noted how his pupil's ears were perking as he struggled to catch onto what he was saying, but the old man was able to finish up before the boy could gain any knowledge himself. With that said and done, the parents looked over at their child in astonishment. "You're certain that he's been handicapped? Like me?"

"_Shhh!_" Tarres reminded the father, being reminded of how he was quite similar to his old man back in his youthful days. Johannes was a loud mouth alright, but he was never as foolish as his own son Riccardo. "It's not a handicap. He's just limited... by a force which I haven't seen in years." He stated, being reminded of the mysticism which that blockage in his pupil resembled. If memory served him right, there was no way possible that the boy had been able to have interacted with someone with such powers or knowledge in the mystical arts, let alone have been exposed to external forces in nature. Unless...

"Taritsu!"

The teen perked up, widening his eyes as he didn't expect the man to interrupt his morbid thought process. With little to argue with, he allowed the old mentor to command him, although it was also due part because he half expected to extract answers from him after complying to what he said with good behavior.

"That pendant that you wear... where did you receive it?"

Just as he was about to inform him, all memory of what he knew of the artifact seemed to escape him. All of it, except the memory of asking his grandfather and being told that he had it since he was a child.

Fortunately, Yanagi seemed to have interpreted that as an indication of him having forgotten part of his childhood; she didn't seemed surprised at all about it. In fact, she had expected him to have forgotten some details. Heck, even the person who made him think science was interesting had escaped his memory.

"He's had that since he was about five, Tarres. My father knows more about it than I do, but he did receive it as a memento... Why do you ask?"

Tarres eyed it closely, but soon gave up as he had seen the markings weren't anything like he had known of the genuine thing. '_Perhaps it was just my imagination..._' "I see... forgive my assumptions. The most logical conclusion in all this is that our special child here has simply developed his Wild Sense to compensate for his loss of natural ki access. He's still able to accomplish tasks, but think of a budget system of sorts: while he can still produce the same effects he normally would feel free to do, his body isn't readily retrieving that energy anymore. That being said, I think his subconscious has begun comprehended that as having been subjected to a state of fatigue."

Now that he had informed them of the crucial details, the couple saw that their remaining time was nearing to a close, and were forced to have to end their interaction with the old mentor. Perhaps another time they would learn more from him once the trial was done, but for now, they needed to catch up and confirm that they had everything that they needed to ensure their son wouldn't be falsely convicted.


	29. Chapter 29

**Arc III**

**Chapter 5**

**Effects of Victory**

* * *

The sight on screen was way too horrifying to describe with actual words. Those watching could feel the pounding of blood and adrenaline pumping loudly, powerfully as the experience seemed horrifyingly realistic. Had it been the task of a rational minded individual, they would had given up and left the responsibility to the professionals.

Sedrick, however, did not have a choice in the matter but to approach his own son as he was cornered liked a caged animal at the side of the building. Edging closer towards the boy, Sedrick could literally hear the ragged breath and feel the pounding heartbeat of his monstrous form; his bestial claws even dug into the side of the building as he tried to escape from the familiar man—feeling anxious for his safety and what dangers he could possibly be subjected to if he stepped any closer.

"_Mauricio, listen to me. It'll be okay, but this isn't safe for anyone. Let me help you._"

Feeling that some sort of enemy was tailing them and was placing his father at the risk of critical injury, the boy immediately lunged forward with open arms, roaring deeply in a bellow which was akin to that of a werewolf depicted in films. With little reaction time that Sedrick had at that moment, the device which had been used to display the personal account of that memory was overwhelmed, causing the image to shake and cut to black—leaving the audience (consisting of all the regular AN members and a few individuals of interest) with little to the imagination of what they needed to piece together what had happened.

This was the visual and auditory aides which Sagratia's greatest teen prodigy was able to provide, but backfired devastatingly as it made those favoring the accusation's case seem either correct or downright inhumane for having pushed the boy to such an extreme. Eventually, they had to be placed into court recess as the president of the current Allied Nations Council was having trouble in the case as the rest of the accusing party was riling up their side of the story, insisting on crafting Taritsu's image as that of a dangerous threat to all of humanity.

"Twenty minutes. Then we'll finish the hearings on the Defendant's side of the case." Reminded Judge Mauritis of the AN Dispute Tribunal. Those present in the room mentally noted the statement, then left as soon as it became rather apparent to them that the bane of their safety was on the move. Avoiding the boy like a plague was a rather natural response, one which he was rather familiar with since childhood; they either avoided/ignored him, found him ridiculously overbearing, or downright liked to cause problems to Taritsu, just so that he'd get what was coming to him.

'_Piss off!_' Vejita glared at the more intentionally straying members of the group that walked by, knowing full well that they were going to try something drastic while his oldest known friend headed over to assist his father in taking off the equipment that was part of Adrian's technology. He gave both father and son a quick once over, softly sighed as if he understood that what was their troubles, and decided to be considerate by giving them their privacy in addition to announcing that they needn't bother worry about those who were outside the room, leaving the two to freely consider what to do next at their leisure.

Part of the reason they were leaving last was due part to the unnaturally large flock of paparazzi that had tried to gain access to the trial, and while they had been a nuisance that Kairne didn't have to deal with on a daily basis with their own media coverages, it seemed to the Kairnese males that Sagratia really had problems with media biases.

"_Victor D. Richards, what are your thoughts on the outcome of this trial? Will the Rutabaskis get what they deserve..._"

It angered the men to hear what they dared to say around their friends—How could people be so shameless as to raise questions as controversial as these individuals had, on people who hadn't in the slightest yield ill-will against anyone?

"Baddack, Sedrick, Vasilis. _Padrone_ Rutabaski, I know you all are concerned of how we're going to manage with them going first, but I assure you it's necessary that you trust me with these matters. I know a man who can turn this around with ease—just allow him to speak and the Sagratians won't know what hit~."

"That's enough out of you. Back in the designation area with you," Spat the guard as he waved the nightstick around, as to emphasize the seriousness of his actions. Seeing how quickly out of hand the situation was going, Baddack found himself intervening for the sake of keeping the peace, which embarrassingly caused him to bring others into paying attention to what Jack Chandler was speaking.

"Oi, that's not exactly something we can overlook." Johannes immediately spoke up in order to divert all of the new audience who found Jack interesting away from what he was stating. Vasilis could had almost killed Baddack for that simple blunder, but he noticed that both of the boys were busy speaking of matters that were... more calming than usual.

'_They've never really had been this quiet._' He noted how the boys were finding each other's company refreshing—or rather Vejita was offering it selflessly, while his younger counterpart was quietly reading documents provided, courtesy of his mother. '_Taritsu's most likely been traumatized. I wouldn't be so surprised, but Vejita..._' Vasilis was rather disappointed with his son; it was more than likely true that the young adult knew something that they didn't, and although he was being a good friend for keeping the kid's secrets—doing so now, especially with trauma—was counterproductive for their defense topics.

"Don't let me catch you doing something inconsiderate of these people again, you hear?"

The security guard nodded in fear, whilst Johannes was thanked thoroughly for having defended the unlucky reporter. Though he was rather used to these sort of things when he was younger, Johannes couldn't deny feeling a bit sheepish after having been away from the limelight for so long. He quickly told the young reporter to not worry about it, and returned to the others who had just finished hearing Jack's description of the so called miracle worker of a legal attorney. "Men, I'd like to introduce to you all to Anthonio Zeferi."

Johannes immediate found himself unable to contain his feelings. Though he knew that it was not quite possible, the chances of him being able to cross paths with a person with that surname was slim. He looked like an ordinary male—with light brown hair and eyes—but the style in which his hair was slicked back with a single bang hanging in the front indicated who he really was. "Ryuichi Naruhodou?"

"_Padrone_ Rutabaski, you already met?" Jack exclaimed in pure disbelief.

Casting his gaze away from the elder whom he knew much about through tales, but never of actually having had a full and proper conversation with the man, Anthonio Zeferi paid his respects to the friend of his wife's late father. '_Kasuga's family was strict on these matters; they wanted an heir, and Seiko was the only child she had._'

"While it isn't official, my wife told me that her mother's family had taken her away from Kairne; she told me a lot about her father's life, how he was friends with one of their own, and practically the whole history as of how they're essentially related as two halves of one family." Anthonio stated, utilizing a "_matter of fact tone_" as he held up a copy of his father-in-law's memoir.

"It's all true, Mr. Chandler. However, I'm not really familiar with Naruhodou on the personal level; news of his cases has been going around in the past, and I'm certain that having successfully completed over 70 cases—40 of which he found the criminal himself—and that he deliberately chosen knowing that the cases were hopeless as these cases were usually biased." Johannes spoke, admiring the man for his righteous sense. Daisuke had told him of the man years ago, especially since he considered hiring him as an insider for in case they needed to bail themselves out from a corner in the future. He rejected it, and stood by the decision even after Sedrick had been framed for intentional homicide. "You were a legend, Naruhodou, but like modern legends—you disappeared as quickly as you had made yourself a name. I take it that you took up the surname of Cesare's daughter to lay low, correct?"

Anthonio nodded, finding the man's friendly demeanor actually calming. "I was needed at home, and raising a son while completing these cases weren't going to do me well with him as a target for anyone wanting vengeance. Anyway, I'm here to bust out your grandson from the charges, so don't you worry _Signore_ Rutabaski." '_I'll just inform Seiko that it's a go._' He scolded himself for having doubted her reasoning, then found himself laughing at the ridiculous notion of being turned down by the Rutabaskis. '_Seiko has always been right about these matters; even if I find myself deplorable by taking a stance I'm not fond of... she always puts me at ease._'

Had only their son been blessed by her passive serenity, instead of Anthonio's neurotic tendencies.

"Hey, Sed..." Baddack wanted to ask the man a few things but found him terribly busy along with his father. Instead, he noticed the weird distribution of people standing in about a radius of five meters away from Taritsu. Naturally, his anger was swelling, but remembered that it was best for the boy to feel comfortable rather than accepted into a mass of mindless individuals; it was his curious nature which brought joy and happiness towards his wife when she was alive and well to see first hand how he was getting along with the children.

'_So maybe I was a bit harsh on letting him be with Euphemia. I still don't approve it, especially since there are problems that are arising, but I do see what Jack meant by wanting to get the two acquainted. It seems his attitude has been maturing into something I can live with._'

It wasn't so bad for Taritsu though; from what he knew of the boy, silence was perfectly refreshing for him. In fact, it was more than likely that the boy was currently coming up with his own rebuttal against the accusations, so there really wasn't much for them to worry about. Except... how could he think calmly when the fact that the accusation was willing to use their memories against them was the chilling reality? He understood the likelihood of underlying issues arising if they went ahead and extracted his memories for them to observe... had he any of his own to reflect on.

'_The only thing I have is "A Priori" intelligence. I don't really have anything of my own to call my own, and they'd likely switch their tactics to better serve them._' Indeed, he knew how Sagratia was serious about their position as a hegemon. In fact, just a few years ago, they entered Serbian territories to restore order after it became public knowledge that the regime seizing control there had ruined their trading schedule—which was pretty much what neighboring countries accused the nation of having interfered in the first place for. If they knew that he had nothing to claim of his own, nothing to prove that his identity was Taritsu Maurice Kyousuke Rutabaski... then it may have been possible that the officials might appeal for the order of his servitude for the public's benefit.

Fortunately, though it was never spoken between them, Sedrick had volunteered his memories first, allowing his son to utilize what valuable time he had left to come up with a fool-proof plan. '_Damn these memories. Each time one restores itself, several more come flooding back in._' He cursed the fact that he was being bombarded with the memories that he had of himself. It only spanned the time of his last two years of age, serving to confirm what horrors he really was burdened with in life, whilst also revealing to him that there was a serious issue within him. '_These missing periods of time that I have... there's nothing to confirm what I did with it, but someone is looking after me._' He recalled the notes and messages left for him, but after trying to contact it now when he needed assistance the most—he serious began to doubt its existence.

Feeling the vibrational shift and the auditory indication of footsteps heading his way, Taritsu honestly believed that it was someone he was rather familiar with; as if his mind were able to identify an old friend—some person who he knew way before his love of science became clear and justified in the specifics he was educated in. With the knowledge he had, Taritsu had identified an 18 year old female walking just 14 feet away from him, then 5 feet, and finally, he came to see Adrian de Folli facing him only about a meter away. Exactly whatever the guy wanted, Taritsu had little interest; especially since he considered him—the adolescent wearing a red waistcoat, scarf, and strangely enough, had a noticeable large twisting noodle of hair compared to the rest of his [shorten and well-kempt] fringes—as part of the cause that wanted to bring despair and hopelessness to his family.

"May I speak with you in private, Rutabaski Taritsu?"

At first, seeing Adrian's attentive expression and expectant, smug face made the adolescent feel as if he were trying to mock Vejita. How he'd teach him a lesson by knocking his fist into the guy's face with a single stroke. Yet noticing how his father had swiftly reacted in time before him to assure his son that it was alright to give Adrian a chance... he noticed the tactic which his father was likely hoping for him to enact upon. '_Fine. So long as it's going to bug the Westerner officials and their credibility. I'd better remain alert and keep myself from being conned too... though I oddly don't feel any ulterior motives coming from him._'

Stepping away from everyone else, he saw as Adrian went for something inside his waistcoat, causing him to instantly become tense from his more... laid back and reserved attitude. However, the adolescent was instead met with a mere chuckle and handed a pencil and note card. Looking around in a manner as to not seem suspicious as well, he began instructing the boy a few things that were crucial, but to not worry about until after the trial.

"That's essentially what they want me to do. I can't condone such manipulative behavior. Just understand that by also trying to make peace with you and your family—I'll be drawing the line if things go too far, understand?"

He curtly nodded, but then began inquiring something about Adrian's memory display device. Was it possible that it could retrieve something that was lost... maybe even stimulate it back into his mind? Honestly, there was a lot science wasn't certain for sure on, and although neurons were proven to have been involved with a person's memories, he wondered if this extraordinary memory loss was tied in with something.

"That's not possible with our current technology. Why? Did you happen to need a favor... or is there something you fear of everyone else seeing that's putting you on edge?"

Seeing his expression change for once to a genuine look of fear, Adrian began chuckling once more, bumping the younger male with his elbow. "You really shouldn't worry so much. I'm not going to use it on you, and I'm sure as hell not going to advocate my nation of origin bullying someone like you. You're pretty extraordinary, but... people underappreciate you too often."

'_Huh. This really feels like I've heard it from someone before._' The Rutabaski primogeniture, however, didn't think too deeply on the subject though. Instead, he was reminded of his mother, and her own struggles coming to terms with herself. Exactly whatever she dealt with was rather unknown to him, but if she was anything the clues he had of her could piece together... then she was really a special breed of person.

* * *

Frantically recovering the articles which the siblings had spread around carelessly as she had assisted their mother, Paula stopped once she noticed how Yanagi's melancholic state had been... troublesome for the _Suocera_: Catalina Rutabaski, and briefly whispered over to Charlotte that she'd be back to assist her with their current task of looking after the twins.

She knew that Yanagi Rutabaski was a loving parent, undoubtedly wise, and held values that one needn't question to understand; they were for the good of others. However, Paula also realized that due to the seriousness of her cautious nature for her offspring [that she had greatly tended for many, sufferable years] and had to ensure herself on part of her adopted brother's request that the young mother wouldn't find herself wringing the neck of some unfortunate fool who triggered her nerves.

'_Kind of scary that he told me her faults. I really don't want to confirm it myself, especially since he's currently defending himself in a life-changing trial._' She never really understood what the deal was with these policy makers having to make such a scandal over the one thing that constantly dealt him pain and anger. Paula understood a lot for her age, having been the byproducts of living on the run and constantly being reminded by her biological brother that she wasn't to seek out others for a mutual relationship.

"_They'd betray you,_" Brolli would tell her the line, over and over as it slowly became fact. The words would be reinforced by how terrible people would treat one another—especially around the more, "unregulated" territories of the continent. She never once despised her father or brother, neither did she blame her mother for having tolerated his abuse over all those years; the woman's exemplary display of forgiveness and patience were lessons she took to heart, and came to appreciate the values that she, her biological mother, held close to heart. "_You can't trust strangers, so get used to the fact that they'd toss you aside whenever they find you inconvenient._"

"Had you been able to do-over a specific event in your life... what would it be?"

Yanagi's sudden question pierced through her train of thought, bringing up very sensitive issues as she had quickly made the logical conclusion that the question was based on her guardian's regrets. Knowing that it would be impolite, she shied her eyes from the woman, cleared her throat as quietly as possible, and tapped her shoes together before providing her the answer which she had accepted since the very day she made up her mind in running off to Jakarta in 2003. "I really don't regret much, _Madonna_ Rutabaski. There really isn't much I can control, and those which I have decided to take action—I guess I really didn't know any better to have taken the other route."

She soon noticed Yanagi nod in mutual understanding of her situation. It wasn't much for the two to bond, but when she was younger—she was ridiculously rebellious and fiery spirited—almost elusive, as her father-in-law described it. However, what had made the mother so worked up as a young girl was her morbid fear of mortality and solipsism; having a doubtful sense of existence and worth in the world which seemed highly unfair, and she never spoke of it to anyone, not even her closest friends—or husband. That would soon change with the mutual solace she felt around the girl who shared her son's birth date.

"When I was a girl around the age of six... I didn't trust many people, and disliked how my father would acquaint himself with people who would most likely take advantage of him. I guess I can say I was like a polar opposite of your own character."

Yanagi then sat down, causing her adopted daughter to jump at the slightest indication of her indignation flaring up from memories that she may have held onto. That was what the woman thought was the case but the reality was that Paula was surprised to have seen Charlotte listening in from the hallway. At the sight or her distracted expression, Yanagi turned around to see what was exactly wrong, but found nothing there, which caused her to ignore it and focus on her troubled past.

'_Just what is she up to?_'

They were possibly all memories which she deeply regretted and wanted them atoned, or at least forgiven for having doubted her path. Either way, it was still enough to cause Paula enough worries and realize that her adopted mother was not yet aware of her own problems that had been entrapping Paula in.

"I continued living like this, even becoming friends with an older girl who also realized the same _truths_ which I determined reality had. Yet still, I was wondering whether or not Sedrick knew anything other than his bed of roses that he happened to compliment life to have." She chuckled in the moment the memories of her behavior with Sedrick became clearer; how she'd ever forgive herself for all the troubles she caused him. "I still can't believe that he remained so strong..." She quietly muttered.

Paula, now intrigued by the woman's views, decided in listening more of her tale, but realized that distracting them both from the current issue was a fatal insult towards their loved ones. They needed their support, even if they couldn't really express it as openly as it would be when they'd be around to actually hear them.

"You're right about that, Paula. You're a good girl, never having been corrupted and never giving in to anything that would cultivate these dark, depressing thoughts like I had. It took me a few of Sedrick's sacrifices to realize what I really should had focused on, and I wish I could had changed that. Unfortunately, it seems my stubbornness was inherited by my son... and although he's trying to hide it, I know he suffers. Yet oddly enough, he's answered me in much the same way as you had."

* * *

"Do you solemnly swear to speak the truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"...Yes."

That pause brought the men to wonder exactly what was going through the kid's mind, but oddly enough, it appeared that the attorney handling the boy's defense seemed to notice it's secondary effects as well.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury. I would like to remind you that my client has grievances of his own that he needs to keep under wraps as to not affect his thinking process. It may seem as if he's keeping us from knowing the entirety of the truth, but understand that the constant barrage of accusations, negative reputations, and outright obscenities that he's been dealing with had taken a toll on his mind."

"Alright, Taritsu. I'm going to ask you a few questions to start you off, so answer them to the best of your ability... and don't skip out on any of them, you got that?"

Nodding, the boy understood what the Anthonio wanted of him. He briefly looked over the crowd, allowing him to notice the screen of the polygraph recording his vitals—ensuring that they'd obtain a baseline of his before actually starting with the more serious questions. Honestly, this was a dirty trick on the Sagratian's part, but he was fortunate to have been told by Adrian that he shouldn't have to worry about his own attorney seeming to be against him; it was just an act of misdirection he needed to realize.

'_I better control my breathing. Thanks Gramps. All those exercises you forced on me with holding my breath underwater should pay off today._'

"You graduated university at the age of twelve, correct?"

"No."

"Have you ever committed a crime, and if so: describe it."

'_I do not know how I can answer that._' He realized that it was loaded and highly dangerous for him to avoid it. It would be difficult to tell them what he had done, but he knew he had a responsibility. '_Chill.__ I think I vaguely remember it._' "Yes," He calmly stated. Almost proudly.

Bringing his hand to his neck, Vasilis nervously adjusted his collar, realizing what the kid had done. Fortunately though, the tribunal was quick to settle down the audience before they had the power to influence the outcome.

"I had entered a nature reserve, having requested permission to do so, and after an escalation of events... ended up having to kill a few wolves."

Several people began whispering once they heard his response, but all was going according to how Anthonio saw it should be. It was ingenious, really. Simply stating that Taritsu was a moral person because he was raised to be moral was not enough of a valid reason to convince the naysayers. They'd need to hear the argument which Anthonio was engineering for him, then they wouldn't stand a good chance against him with their bias stance on the matter.

"Thanks for the honesty Rutabaski. Now, it was stated that you were imprisoned indeed for having _killed_ said protected wolves. Of course, you were pardoned on the case that you protected the daughters of Tepelny, and was even offered one of their hands in marriage." He placed emphasis on that as well. "So tell me: Why did you reject that offer back then, but accepted it now? Could it be that you're only after the benefit of their political defense: the technicality of the Holaska treaty was what you were after, Rutabaski?" Anthonio boomed indiscriminately.

He had little clue as to how to completely give the man the truth, but a compulsion he felt in knowing that feeling, the philosopher's argument which he learned as a child, was more than enough to aid him in defending himself. He also knew that being objective an unbiased—along with considering others—was favorable. That much he knew from learning from Euphemia's sister the other day on these matters.

"Had I agreed in the first place, I would had been thinking selfishly. That offer was given to me as a means to escape my imprisonment, and would had been completed on the grounds that I was looking after myself. I did not want to use someone as a means only, however, if my reasoning strikes you odd that I rejected the offer back then, and contradicted it recently... I'd find it abhorrent that this is how you'd categorize me by. If I could state one thing, and have it stick to your minds, then it would be that I do not see others... disposable. Everything, and I mean this since I was a child, had to have some meaning. Sure, you could argue that I'd drill in the lectures into my mind and learn information like a mere drone, but there was a higher meaning to it all."

'_Where the hell is this coming from? I_—_I..._' He found it frightening how accurate it sound to him, to have stated something familiar to his own history. He could blame it, or credit it to his own upbringing—which he continued to remember—but there really wasn't anything he could confirm it in comparison to his own character. '_Perhaps my memories returning subconsciously made me aware of a residual knowledge. Posteriori information, that which I know is from my "missing time", aren't readily accessible to me... and yet I'm speaking about things as they flow naturally into my argument._'

It was creepy having come to that conclusion. No one else knew of it, and he couldn't confirm it, but several passages of information remained as he continued speaking his supportive reasoning as to why he agreed to the engagement with Karalynne now. '_Am I really the original self, or is that missing time experience of the real Taritsu... who created me to keep everyone else from despairing over his absence?_'

"Thank you, Rutabaski." Anthonio stated after the boy finished revealing what he was intending to do. "But before we continue with the rest of the questions, I'd like to confirm this of what you said with an unaffiliated third-party."

At that moment, stepping into the court was the person with slightly disheveled white, pale locks (honestly one would think they were bleached, but it would be surprising to learn that her hair was naturally colored that way). In addition to having that exotic look, one could see the matching eye color that stood out with her hair—coincidentally similar to how Nora's hair and eye color were matching as well. Yet what stood out most to those who were paying attention was her military coat, complimented by the vacant expression and attitude she wielded being in the room. Almost as if she were an indication that they were acting intentionally unfamiliar with one another, but that fortunately wasn't the case with Anthonio's clever scene construction.

"I myself don't see the attraction of spending my time here at a trial as pointless as this, but nonetheless, my duty to my country comes first." She started, although it was an awful exposition. "What Taritsu Rutabaski speaks of is indeed true: Originally, Ambassador Tepelny was planning on handing his daughter's hand in marriage, but he wasn't certain with how the modern world's condition was."

For reasons unknown to Sedrick, he seemed to have began seeing someone else as he paid attention to the representative speaking at that moment. However, while he could have sworn seeing the younger sister of Karalynne, he was certain that Tepelny was not as foolish as to allow that to happen. '_He may be taken by surprise, but I know as a father, he's highly involved with his daughters._' Irregardless, he continued listening to this... "_Aila Kimse_" as she was referred by.

"...so it really is an act of moral duty which Rutabaski is doing for Tepelny's daughter. By accepting the "engagement... the chances of individuals seeking to take her for the sole purpose of controlling the population [or for her genetics] is massively diminished to levels in which such an event would rarely happen."

"Objection!" Spat out one of the accusing party's members. Even now, the Sagratians still wouldn't believe the explanations given for Taritsu's alleged change of heart—as they so called it. "Who's to say that he wouldn't raise an army?!"

That exclaim was met by the banging of the gavel, and several murmurings that had agreed with the view. Additionally, since she was irritated by the lack of attention, Kimse took a great deal of self-control to calm herself, letting out a deep sigh before referring back to what she was saying earlier. "Rutabaski is temporarily engaged, and that is the status until a proper candidate can be filtered out from the number of corrupted youths working for a malevolent cause. As you may have noticed, the World Union Supremacy Society has intended in world domination, with each attempt being much more extravagant or remote than the last. Our borders have recently closed, making certain that none would escape the mandatory identity check, and so far... we're hoping that these violators won't escape. In fact, just the very news that Rutabaski and Karalynne Tepelny are engaged alone should be enough to discourage—perhaps even encourage a courageous, patriotic fool—into encountering him for the purpose of extracting their genetics. They are documented as having high potentials of power."

Once she had finished speaking, Kimse began walking away from the court center and took to the safety of being seated next to her fellow associates. Her responsibilities done and over with, the group was quietly observing how the courtroom had been affected and seemed satisfied that her rebuttal was capable of silencing the rabid Sagratian dogs that were threatening the safety of their population. However, the trial was not yet over; Anthonio Zeferi still needed to finish up with his cross-examination first before the tribunal were able to make a decision.

"_That was good, Kimse. Impressive work._"

Taking back to his position in front of Taritsu, Anthonio returned to finishing his duties, deciding to make a strong finish now—rather than later—as the information the adolescent had spoken of was still fresh in their minds. "That being said and done, let's answer the question most of us are dying to hear the answer to: Exactly why were you in the area near Spark's convention?"

Taritsu quickly evaluated his mind of what knowledge he had on what was stated, but found himself struggling to find a useful answer that didn't contradict. '_Crap, if I tell them the truth, then I'll put Anthony at risk. But if I lie, then I'm going to set off the polygraph._' Time seemingly dilating as he struggled, his vision seemed to have... blurred...

Everyone looked on intently as they tried to make out what was going on with the boy. Some were skeptical that he was actually petty enough to have done something like this, while others were clearly alarmed that they had crossed a certain line with the kid weeping silently like that in what was an interrogation. Hell, they didn't even dare to look over at the boy's grandfather, who no doubt was probably pissed off at this development.

Getting up from his seat and politely excusing himself by asking the judges for permission to answer it in his own manner... Taritsu quickly told his attorney to take a seat. Clearing his throat, he softly began explaining his endeavor by speaking to the Sagratian officials.

"Senator Richards, your constituents believe in the concept of freedom, yes?"

"No doubt, boy... but what are you getting at here?"

"Freedom. A concept highly valued by your society, and its what makes up most of the belief system that no matter what happens, Sagratia can make up for it, right? I am accused as being a monster—which may be the case here—but it isn't what I'm concerned of. What I am much more worried of—is how quick to blame, how quick to deny me of human rights. You all are quick to say that I'm a demon, a devil-spawn child, and many other obscenities which correlate with the evils which you accused my father of having done fifteen years ago."

They cast their heads down, ashamed by having brought that up again. The kid was right on that matter, and although it wasn't quite popular and well known to the mass public, it was known to the educated that simply because one was of a high society—didn't mean they were exempt from the consequences of committing crimes.

"If I'm a monster, then determinism is what made me this way, for my father was evil—and I very much follow his examples. If determinism made me this way, then I cannot be held accountable for any actions, thus, one cannot be held accountable for their actions. What then, would be the point to having a justice system? Or life's values? I'll tell you why it exists, and that is because no one intentionally wants to commit evil acts because it is in their nature. However, as a group, anarchy seems to be what you all crave, and it sure as hell looks like you all act uncivilized. Like beasts rather than rational beings. I must admit, and must apologize for my locutions, but just as I'd made you all realize that such a viewpoint is too dark and grim to be a reality we live in—it is the one which you all seem to find popular and delve me into seeing each and every waking moment. I also apologize for my nation of having taken less responsibilities since my grandfather took the mantle after his father, but we're aware of how delicate these issues are—and we do not want to ignite another World War. That said... I tolerate the misery you have dealt me with—but never will you find me tolerating the suffering my family is subjected to with me being at constant danger. Which is why... if you really, truly believe that I am a monster and commit evil intentionally... then I offer you an ultimatum: Grant me two years time to solve the problem of WUSS and all which the world has been concerned of tension wise, and once that is over, I shall bring an end to my life in order to prove to you naysayers that I am someone with freewill, that I do wield the capacity to these natural rights as I can remain in self-control."

"Stop degrading yourself!" The interjection surprised all as they found out it came from the one person they hadn't expect: Adrian.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Rutabaski, but what you are saying is that essentially you're surrendering this case. I'm not saying that what you said isn't wrong, but this cessation of motivation is wrongful; you are not a monster... but you're correct on the fact that as a whole, the global community has crossed you. My sincerest apologies." Adrian cut in, saving the boy from having to deal with his troubles.

'_That's twice he's helped me. I have to hand it to this guy, for if he hadn't spoken to me earlier, I wouldn't have been able to make my defense as strong as it is now. How's this guy considered an adversary?_'

It wasn't visible for anyone else to have seen it, but the boy's vision had caught the scowl that Senator Richards had in response to Adrian's assistance to the Defendant. Officials like him did not want to lose their case, and especially didn't want to let the Kairnese slide away scott-free and without restrictions on a matter that was highly controversial if revealed of their true intentions. However, Taritsu was intelligent enough to know that he had a motive, and that by stating those words, he led them all on to choose whether or not the boy was to be condemned or released. Yet, with a quick iteration of what was spoken earlier, he yelled out what needed to be said: Taritsu was indeed a danger, as it was confirmed by the World Health Organization's interpretation of Taritsu's health personal records. '_The T-101 does not lie._'

"I have more than enough proof to prove that such a claim is outdated, Senator Richards."

The audience turned to see the son of Amadeus Quinn, along with a couple groups of agents and scientists provided by BALM. Due to the unannounced entry, the AN tribunal were forced to demand order in the court, settling everyone's baffled minds from shouting obscenities and postponing the scheduled end of the trial.

"Again with limiting their knowledge, Richards. Persuading people through fear is a form of terrorism you know, and contradicting national policies just to ensure that you can keep someone from challenging your credibility... that's just sickening." Spat the man whom Sedrick and Baddack discovered to be none other than Phillip K. Quinn. Looking over at the memory retrieval device, he sighed at the unfairness and then held up a portfolio. "Since you are insistent on condemning the boy, please allow the council to hear this final detail."

With a quick clearance of his throat as the man settled down at the reasonable request, Phillip began aloud.

"As tested since November 30th, all suspected victims of Rutabaski Taritsu had been known to have—either by personal or family health histories—a chronic illness. These weren't drastically incurable, but the resources needed to attend them weren't available with the technology and time Sagratia's health centers could provide. Additionally, it seems that the adolescent has, by means still unknown to us, a sort of immunity that all should be envious of: his physique is blessed by a high count of lymphocytes, and it is likely that the form he had taken was not the same as the forms in previous accounts of destructive beasts. In short, the proof given to categorize Taritsu Rutabaski as a danger... is falsely classified, and as such, must be made known to all that this misconception be cleared. For if one thing is clear of the benefits he has been for these individuals—it is that he has given them a remedy."

Everyone began muttering in curiousness as they saw the images on screen as the BALM scientists compared Taritsu's form with the form of others as Quinn had alluded in the report. A giant, monkey-like creature with brown fur and red eyes—along as several times larger than Taritsu's size as they had seen him not much larger than his father.

"We've had these results replicated in forty different experiments, just in case you doubt. Nothing is forged, but I wouldn't appreciate the fact that an innocent person is being punished for something that is discriminated out of fear. May I remind you that these beasts that you insist the boy being apart of are destructive and berserk, losing all capacity to reason; it is said that those who can transform into these beasts—known by the ancients as _Oozaru_—can learn to retain a sense of friend and foe... yet that was not the case for Taritsu; this boy had not murdered anyone, nor did he bring calamity as most have warned since his existence. In fact, I urge you to understand that he even refrained from harming civilians who had crossed his path. You're basing the crimes on the perception of others before him, insisting that he's a monster... when really the kid has shown that he is far more civilized—be it as a human or Oozaru."

The entire room was silenced once Quinn had finished the statement—finally realizing that what he stated was all true; they couldn't deny it anymore, and they didn't want to convict the boy for something just because of a warning that he resembled those fabled beasts. In fact, those who were more cynical of these matters were able to realize that they were being played for fools. Perhaps the entirety of men like Senator Richards and O'brien were to ensure that they wouldn't lose credibility if the knowledge of the boy being able to cure things and had true liberty—was indeed true. Never mind also being able to provide defense for people far more efficiently than their armies could.

The gavel resounded throughout the room, bringing all to the attention of the judges as they had finished making their decisions. "Before we're to reach a conclusion, would any like to voice a rebuttal? This trial has been rather... unorthodox, but it remains interesting with the viewpoints provided."

While no one said anything as they couldn't see any means to combat what the Defendants had provided to deconstruct the accusations against them, Taritsu found himself facing a moral dilemma. Unbeknownst to all whom were intrigued by the trial and explanations, he had figured a cryptic message by replaying the words that Phillip Quinn stated, figuring out that those were words, not of a professional security organization, but of someone who had insider's knowledge of how to appeal to the Sagratians and the rest of the representatives. Since Quinn was spending his time with his father before coming to the trial... it logically could only be one person that Taritsu knew: Anthony Sparks. '_I'm disappointed that he interfered, but if the Director asked him to do this, then I can't really blame him._'

"Actually I do have one last tidbit of information, your honor: Taritsu Rutabaski has already an assigned responsibility to the world, having chosen to work on an ecological project that would solve environmental issues. Of course, BALM would have enjoyed that he'd work alongside policing the global community—but doing so at the expense of degrading himself, establishing himself as disposable to others, is sickening as he has said earlier before." Quinn ended, just as the scientists who had joined him had finished passing out the pamphlets on Taritsu's genetic engineering program.

"Very well. By order of the Allied Nations on December 7th, 2005, the case has been decided on a ruling in favor of fourteen year old Taritsu Rutabaski as: NOT GUILTY. It is decided that what Sagratia has proposed days earlier of Adrian de Folli having to supervise Taritsu Rutabaski as a breach of his personal privacy, and the transfer that was appointed for after this trial is now considered void." As the gavel was about to sound the typical bang that would hand concluded him as innocent, gratitude and concern made Taritsu reevaluate how Adrian would be affected by that decree. If he stayed quiet, there was no doubt that Adrian would suffer a punishment for assisting him.

So doing his best to appeal one last time, he asked the tribunal for a small favor.

"The project that I'm working on... I would require a team of professionals that could assist me in completing it."

_May Adrian be an assistant of mine?_


	30. Chapter 30

**Arc III**

**Chapter 6**

**Scientist Supreme and Fangirl's Dream **

* * *

Honestly? How was he going to talk his way out of this one?

The man furrowed his brow, seeing the report which had been good news for him on the success of the test subject gaining his nemesis' trust. He was ecstatic about that, and there was practically nothing to stop him from learning and gaining their secrets now. He was also glad to have learned that the scientists had managed to improve the progress on the cure they were working on for the Neuronal Immunodeficiency virus; they're experiments with the Pyrastrenean clones were paying off handsomely, and was superb news for the colony as they were able to recover their numbers with the cure finished. In fact, therapy sessions were already showing signs of recovery with robust results on the part of several members, but one key issue was a thorn in his side.

"They just had to ruin our plans." He spoke to no one in particular as the news broadcast had shown him an emergency report on global legislation and various other things which had been part due to the results of the trial several weeks back. As it just so happened, the Sagratians had been furious that Taritsu Rutabaski wasn't mandated to be observed by Adrian de Folli. In fact, they were fuming at the news that Rutabaski recruited Adrian to be his assistant on an global community project—even going as far to strip their prized prodigy of citizenship duties in order to avoid betrayal. It was laughable, amusing really. Johnstonii found their misfortune heartening, since he knew that his lapdog would remain bounded to _his_ commands. Yet, even though it was what caused their government to rile support up to overturn the AN court order after several senators came out stating that the Rutabaskis had a contract that mandated them to adhere to their orders, hearing the news of Kairne taking action against WUSS—with Rutabaski in the front lines—was perilous news for his plans.

"Why couldn't that fool keep his mouth shut and allowed him to had been bounded by the two year treaty? He would had purged all of this planet of its problems and killed himself off—leaving us free to cultivate it with no issues whatsoever!"

The old man whom Johnstonii had known since his youth eyed him with desolate eyes. He knew that his nephew had been ambitious since he could first contribute with experimentation, and he also knew that his nephew had supported Ivo Voreps' viewpoints. They had named their current leader's twin after his given name, hoping that the newest member of the Voreps family would be able to turn out as a cultivator, but the boy's envy led him to place the entire colony at risk. He sighed, remembering how his old friend Ovi Voreps had sacrificed his life to protect them; he was objective—seeing matters without any preference for anyone and taking responsibility even if it was disadvantageous for him. '_His heart was in the right place, but Ovi had a tragic fall bring his end. Julian seems to have taken the resulting aftermath the hardest. It seems being exposed to all this has exhausted him of his idealism._'

"Uncle! I asked if you had any ideas of how to combat this?"

Taking a deep, burdened yawn, Ivo Spirov began voicing his knowledge to his beloved nephew. "It's rather obvious that I'm surprised you haven't seen it yet, Arlo."

Confused as to what he meant by that, Johnstonii's outrage came to a halt as he contemplated his uncle's meaning. True, the man had a sense of determining worth, knowing that in the long-run, even if he didn't see it particularly favorable for himself, he'd put up with the issue so that they'd improve the colony for the common good.

"It's rather simple, Arlo. They had been protesting earlier that the order be repealed, but having learned that this... Taritsu Rutabaski has taken action to handle the terrorist organization, they'd soon see him worthless afterwards. They'll shift their fears onto him, and soon after return to their daily lives before this all happened. Honestly, I'm not certain why they are detesting someone like that child; he has the worth of an Alpha Double Plus Plus, perhaps even more so than our ordinary rank can categorize. With the stories you've been telling me, he's perhaps even on the level of the Scientist Supreme—or even better—the level of a "_Philosophus de mundo naturali_", as these Eudorans have titled their own leading scientist of the fifties. Juliano Marzo Rutabaski was his name... a rather strange one compared to all others like him. Honestly it seems that the Rutabaski family seems to produce heirs on par with what the Coluans would classify as a level 8 intellect—though I'm rather certain that the current Rutabaski you speak of is what Ovi Voreps had spoken of as the actual _Truth Seeker_. Mind the leniency."

Johnstonii took a deep breath as he reminded himself not to direct his rage at his uncle. "Yes, but now the entire global community may get along with each other, placing us at risk, uncle."

"Isn't that a good thing for both us and the Eudorans?"

"You may believe that so, Uncle, but they aren't reasonable as a group. I think it would be best to use the terms that they had criticized their own general populace of being similar to. Sheeple is the term." Johnstonii laughed as he finished saying that. It was quite ironic that they had conflicting views as a group; their own government valued what they called "democracy" but its officials and corporations were corrupt to the point of which it led a select few families to always have first pick over the rest of the populace. The opposite was true with Kairne—which sickened Arlo as he saw how selfless they were. '_True, I may seem like one of them, but the selfish path which I tread is to benefit my race. The Tsufuru-jin isn't exactly thriving throughout the universe, and I'm far more than certain than our colony is the only success so far. Well, others did exist, but we've lost contact with them about a century back._'

"Uncle. You once told me that we had sixty colonies, and that each colony had been tasked to keep the race alive, correct? Well... I'm not entirely sure if this would anger you, but I'm far more than certain that we need to adapt to the lifestyle which the natives live by. If we can integrate ourselves into their society, we'd be able to learn how to interact and play against them. It's far better than directly revealing ourselves to them—like we had last time with the Coluans—and besides, I'm certain that while interbreeding is possible, they'd probably destroy our gene pool quickly with the little that we have."

"That's the plan, Arlo?"

It was a voice which the colony hadn't heard of in months. They had grown used to his distant attitude, a change which came naturally with the loss of his family, and served as an indicator of his maturity. However, Johnstonii wasn't interested in those facts, nor did he care for the uniform that he was wearing. It mismatched with the previous look that Julian had, and even seemed to add a sense of weight having to deal with the alleged additional red pinstripe coat which boldly contrasted with the dark pants of his. However, it seemed to both men that their surprise visitor was in a better mood, seeing as he had worn the gloves and mechanic's goggles that he (Julian) treasured fondly prior to the incident. In addition to that, the man's appearance had a second pair of spectacles—an antique style reading shades.

"Scientist Supreme Voreps! I apologize for not having ran that by the others first—."

"Actually the others wouldn't had seen the value in that plan. Spirov here is a culture analyst; he evaluates and verifies if anything can be used to our benefit, and has been doing so since he had serviced my uncle. I'm glad to see that you've also begun taking note of his life's work. We'd need more culture analysts if we want to know how to survive among the inhabitants of Eudora. _Know thy enemy and thoust know their weaknesses._ We'd be able to figure what sort of treaty we can create with them by taking advantage of this tactic, Johnstonii."

Ivo Spirov remained relatively appalled by the words which the Scientist Supreme spoke of. "Julian, I thought you didn't find manipulating others favorable."

Realizing that he had exposed himself subtly by that casual reference, he prepared his words to reveal what had occurred recently. "I had, but it seems a few of our scientists have taken actions into their own hands. Amphalo Aneditis in particular... he's led a small group of our development team away from their duties. Granted, they had finished their share of the work, but I'm more concerned with what they're doing. The end result of their meddling... may ruin what we have established with the delicate relations with private individuals of this world. I'm not saying that this isn't going against the colony's interest, but their method of abducting and jumping into the physical identities of the individuals they have targeted—worries me. Remember that Dr. Mykota's mental extraction program has been improved since we've gained alliances with a few scientists of the Eastern hemisphere; apparently a man named Light has been researching methods of how to preserve a mind, to the point where it may not even be aware that their surroundings have changed. It's strange, really, but this scientist had created this system—a surrogate system—in a manner which it allows for remote control. What I'm awry of though, is that the group has implemented a manner of taking over their minds so that they'd be able to suggest ideas directly, whilst keeping themselves hidden. Essentially—Mind control."

Informing the old friend of his uncle of the news, Ivo finally found himself in the comfortable preference of speaking with his long-time advocate and faithful partner as the elder scientist left with the grave news. They hadn't been able to speak since he had received a small sample of the Rutabaski Primogeniture's blood, to which he used to figure out a way to improve the physique of an individual. That ultimately led to him figuring out that he needed a template that was compatible with the genetic sample, and Arlo was more than willing to abduct several potential subjects for the project—had it not been for the discovery that they Pyrastrenean clone began reacting to the samples.

"Saccha... she's been better off with the developments. I'm thankful for having entrusted you in finding a means to cure her, Arlo."

He had never heard Ivo speak to him in such a delicate manner. In fact, Arlo would give anything to have his idol praise him, but hearing how remorseful he sounded... was just so plain horrid and gut wrenching as he continued to listen to what the last of the Voreps family was telling him.

"My brother... I wasn't—I didn't actually want to harm him, but the colony had seen his kindness as weakness. We feared being betrayed, Arlo, so we made sure to create contracts and treaties with the worlds we come in contact with. I was led to believe my brother was trying to destroy our chances at survival—bring an end to our progress as a species—but years since his extraction. Well, I've reflected on those matters and concluded that I caused more harm than good, Arlo."

"Exactly what foolishness do you speak of?"

"Extremism, my good friend. I had radical views of how to keep us superior over all the other species we encounter, but having caused my uncle to die... and plagued our species with a disease... my only atonement is to make the dreams of my brother's ethically ran relations become reality. Of course, I'm not saying that we must keep his idealism as well, but you must understand what I am saying, correct?"

"Yes, Ivo. I too find it burdensome that the colony is at risk. A mistake was made and we have no choice but to approach it by manipulating the inhabitants so as to keep them away from us. I'm certain that your uncle would had been disappointed, but he'd understand that these people aren't rational thinkers as a group. Their minds are stunted, listening to every word that their leaders spout as if it were life's blood." '_But I don't mind manipulating the colony. So long as it makes my approval ratings increase, then I'd be regarded highly, then I can take over and place my personal choice for the position of Scientist Supreme. No offense, Ivo, but these sentimentalities are ruining your chances of making the dream reality. I'll be sure to see it happen for you, just wait._'

After taking that into consideration, Ivo inquired his younger associate if he still held ties with the group of extremists. The '_World Utopian Supremacy Society_' had at first agreed to their assistance as they had felt the need to expand their forces—fearing that their species would have a calamity befall upon them. Of course, Arlo had taken that opportunity and sold himself as a loyalist—contributing to their '_Master Race_' project that was supposedly the ultimate means to combat the true enemies: those known as Saiyans. "How has the organization taken your leave, Arlo? I'm certain that the loss of their chief leader of the geneticist department has dealt them with great blows to their overall achievements."

"That is not much to be concerned of, Ivo. They took my word as my bond, and believed that it was the Rutabaski brat's fault. Of course, they wanted part of the samples I took from him, but I made a small compromise: instead of receiving it, I would provide them with technologies similar to our own. At first, they refused, but after seeing the applications of what could be done... it appears that they find me a perfect candidate to lead them remotely. Then again, I'm rather certain that they are much more concerned with the progress of our genetic analysis on the boy—seeing as there are times where their leaders have asked—and I repeatedly stated that no such thing was able to be done as of yet; that the boy's genetics are incomprehensible. They bought that excuse, and now focus on capturing and analyzing the physiology of the _Saiyan_ ethnicity instead. To them, they appear as the perfect candidate for guardsmen—and I agree."

Ivo, pleased with his answer, smirked and found the younger man trustworthy enough to let him in on the secret establishment he had going on. All he knew was that with the project he was working on, perhaps they'd be able to discover why the boy's genetics reacted in a manner that caused the radiation of their shrinking technology to cause unforeseen effects in the unfortunate few who had been caught in the source before. It was certainly a cause for wonder to their scientists when they had meddled with subject Epsilon-15 about a year ago. They had still wondered how it was possible that the Eudoran had been able to change appearances, but fortunately they found out that despite being perceived as a different identity, they still had their test subject. It was at that point in which Arlo found it a rather useful skill for the burdensome subject, and allowed the poor fool run personal errands for him—making sure to keep Janis' son as compensation in case there was resistance. "Then, now that you know what I've been doing in terms of research... Please. Follow me; I've got to show you something extraordinary."

While not knowing what the man meant by that, Arlo did know that the direction they were heading was towards the treatment center, and knew the hall they were in even more intimately as he had walked through it many times before to visit Ivo when he was spending time with his niece. What Johnstonii had not prepared for this time was the new individual who had been keeping Saccha company. It was none other than the Pyrastrenean clone.

"I'd like to introduce you to project Shadow. Quite amazing, especially since it seems the compatibility and assimilation was finally a success!"

* * *

Travel was never preferred taken by land while on a mission. However, it was advised to them that they'd do so, especially with Jakarta having its antiaircraft defense system hijacked by advocates for WUSS.

"That's the difference between pellets and steel balls, Mauricio."

Vejita had accompanied the two as it was his duty, but he honestly didn't want to listen to them. Ever since Taritsu had asked the judges for that request, Vejita's ire had spiked and led to him avoiding conversation with the kid. When referred to, he simply grunted, but never said anything more than that indication. It was honestly not effective on the boy; he didn't treasure his words, but Vejita was more than certain that it was starting to get under the kid's skin.

"But how does the steel ball warp things, papa? I get the physics behind being able to chain together attacks by use of angles, but the boomerang effect you told me doesn't seem possible."

Sedrick chuckled, finding conversation with his son pleasing. He was indeed glad to have heard the news that his son was free from that predicament, and he was even more so when Adrian de Folli had defended his son as well. Perhaps some were upset that his son had extended an olive branch to that young man, but he understood why it happened. In fact, when he told Yanagi of it, she seemed furious to have found out that he gambled his life like that, but soon calmed having heard of his reasoning behind the risky choice. "You know, my dad didn't have an answer for it himself when I asked him how his weapons worked. Of course, he used clackers, and they boomeranged back into his hand, but that's mostly due to have been part of his training. I'm not able to infuse objects—let alone projectiles—with hadou, so I'm guessing that it has to do with the spin of the steel balls, son."

Taritsu, however, came to an understanding that his mentor had stated before of the many forms of Hadou energy manipulation. It was possible that while his father couldn't imbue objects with energy, he could draw out the potential energy a projectile had to cause insane effects. Besides, he wasn't ill informed on that subject. What his mind wondered more on was the design on his father's shield—especially that phoenix imagery that looked impressive.

"Uncle, Riccardo. We're about to arrive in the territory. Be on the alert for ambushing parties and make sure to keep them from harming civilians." Cheisu reminded, though more towards his son than the experienced father. "I should remind you that Jakarta's task force will join us in this mission partway through. The first half, though, is to clear the immediate area so that the civilians are safe again. Any questions regarding what I told you?"

"Just one: What sort of task force?"

"Joint—Search and Destroy. Their team consists of specialized individuals with abilities I'm not even aware of. Of course, the group isn't entirely focused on that goal; at least half of the team is focused on determining suspects and exploiting weaknesses, while the other half takes care of serious business."

Both Sedrick and Cheisu had found the news of the organization taking control of the special district a terrible ordeal—especially since it was densely populated by students attending the continent's best school academia around. They formally called it _The Acadia Institute_, and many parents from the Kairnese west, Chapelurean south, and Boruvian north wanted to enroll their children there. The only issues that kept Sedrick from letting his son join it was due part to the close proximity it was to the Jakartan province, where his boy would no doubt be influenced by their ideologies and manners—and that it wouldn't be possible for him to attend an institute that was approximately 8000 kilometers from their home; for his son to be there he'd have to dorm, and both Sedrick and Yanagi were cautious of their precious first-born's exposure and vulnerabilities. '_That's right. I remember how monotony his schooling felt. It was all pretty easy for him, and nothing really seemed to catch his attention._'

However, that changed for some reason which he had yet to discover. Neither his family, nor extended family knew what caused the boy to have been interested in knowledge; Yanagi held a theory that perhaps her father had done something to make him appreciate their values in life again, but that didn't really explain his boy's cheerful nature as he grew. Sure, the boy was hyper aware of things—too hyper aware. Sedrick had been taught from a young age that life wasn't easy, and that many things were unfair. With more knowledge, he grew aware of injustices and degradation of character; the sufferings of people who had little to no chances at living at ease. In fact, Sedrick had once recalled a time when he was struck by a morbid realization that his own enthusiasm had little to no significant impact.

He felt himself swept away by the majority of the outcries for help and criminal actions that had kept bringing people to lose their morale.

It was because of that...that Sedrick had recurring flashbacks towards his father's interactions with him when he was younger. The old man was broken, but it appeared that his consideration and love for his son allowed him to restrict his feelings. Sedrick had never registered his father's depression before, but the cynicism that snapped its jaws into him had allowed the son to recognize the suffering. He hated that something like that existed, and hated himself for being unable to act. That was his prime motivation to join the military academy—but as he soon discovered, it wasn't the solution.

Instead, he soon found himself drifting along a hell hole of his own life, but that was another story. What Sedrick realized after his early adolescence was that no one really understood one another. It led to people blaming someone else, and brought up xenophobia within communities. In fact, after the death of his grandfather, Sagratia fell into a Great Recession, and those who suffered as he had found themselves falling to the addiction of narcotics—fueling the start of the Mirovan Narcotrafficking issues, which still existed to this day.

"_A person may fall into a depression, Riccardo, but there are many reasons why that may be so. My own depression is not from the suffering I have withstood over the years_—_it is due part to the grief I hold for the people. I've had my share of happiness, but for you to feel this melancholy so young... it truly does make me feel as if I failed as a father. Notice, my son, that with wisdom comes grief: he who increaseth knowledge increaseth great sorrow. It's not because the individual passes through life knowing that others are ignorant, but because the individual realizes that they live misunderstood by others_—_always an outcast even if they are of the same community. This is why, when your mother and I had been younger, I felt at ease with her understanding of my identity; she knew who I was and how to bring me happiness, but I also realize that now I must uphold responsibilities, while also assisting you in finding your own happiness._"

That was when Sedrick had come to terms with his inability to save all; he could save lots of people, but he was no diety, and neither could he predict what events would occur that would bring about suffering. And after his own adventure to discover himself, both he and Yanagi accepted one another as their life partner. He never did feel much more happier seeing her in that gown when they both accepted their vows, and neither did he consider the moment of which his wife's ecstatic look at seeing their newborn son brought into the world.

_Perhaps my son had discovered someone who had understood him at his level during his youth. It would certainly explain his enthusiasm for the world igniting after that fateful summer._

His introspective thought experiment came to an end as he heard the arguing of the two boys.

"I'll just feign a bit of idiocy and insanity. You know, like _I am mad scientist; it's so cool_!" Taritsu stated, mimicking a certain scene from one of the visual novels he read.

"That wouldn't work, clown. Besides, you basically told everyone off at the trial—making them seem like they were insane for blaming you!"

"It takes one to defeat them at their own game, _Veji~ta_. I'm sorry I did that, but gambling on persuasion skills was the only thing I had left that could work. They'd likely agree with what I would had said if I didn't appeal to their emotions—and still order me to a restricted life sentence. Instead, I did what was needed—which allowed me to hold up a mirror and show them how they were the..."

Turning to his friend's eldest born, Sedrick quietly asked what had happened to have made the two engage in a verbal fight.

"Some stuff about his choice of requesting the _De Folli_ kid join him in his project." Cheisu sighed, seeing as their destination was just a minute away. Placing the vehicle on autopilot, he began walking up to the two and bonked their heads with one sweep of his fist, leaving both adolescents to clutch their head in irritation. "Both of you stop messing around. It's bad enough that you have to be here with us Taritsu, but if we're serious in making sure that the world doesn't see you as part of the problem, then you got to get along for this mission. I told my superiors not to interfere with us while we're on the mission; it'll just make us look incapable if they joined. Either way, just get along for the entirety of the mission—_then_ you two can argue about whatever the hell you want."

"I'm still sure that I did the right thing by ensuring Adrian wouldn't remain under the Sagratian government, though."

* * *

Given that she had been in waiting for the past few weeks after having discovered that terrible truth, only one thing had been on the girl's mind. She did not appreciate the news her mother had revealed to her, and neither did she appreciate what her sister had done to have made her situation. .. complicated. Well, it wasn't that she couldn't reveal the news herself, but she knew her mother would not allow it to go public, much less allow her and her "Husband" go public.

Instead, the Chandler girl focused on what she could to finishing the last of her books as it was favorable for her studies that would allow her to finish ahead of schedule. Yes, that's what she would do. She'd simply graduate earlier than expected and elope with him once she acquired that diploma. At least then she'd be capable of sustaining their lives by contributing her part of the income—wherever they headed off to. Kairne wasn't her first choice, but she ruled it out due to the fact how easily her family could deploy a search party for them—nonetheless the fact that he was publicly known to all in the continent thanks to his victory.

'_That reminds me. Where did that guy go after Kyousuke appealed to the judges?_'

"You look stressed."

The words startled her, having not expected to hear her roommate enter the clubroom today.

"Didn't think you'd stay over break. If you knew you'd be this gloomy, why didn't you leave Yuki?

It was more complicated than the typical answer, but Stephanie was not comfortable speaking about family matters. Besides, if she had left, then there'd literally be no chance for the two childhood friends to have met over break. "I'm just trying to keep up with my courses. I wouldn't like to be distracted at home." '_Much less have to endure having to spend a dinner party with Soren._'

"I see. Then I guess what they said about you is true." She cheerfully began. "There's been small talk on your behavior and attitude, pointing out that you're one of the top candidates of freshmen year—if not the top this research habit of yours really keeps you updated on matters; yeah, I can see why they regarded you as the better idol now. Though it does sucked that they gave you that title though."

"What are you rambling about, Amy?"

"Wha—the researcher attitude that you display is true though. I wouldn't doubt it one bit. I mean, you were reading up on this '_Parenting Children and Developmental Psychology_' book the other day."

Shocked that she was found out, the Chandler girl did all that she could to dissolve the thought and project whatever ill thinking the girl currently had. "That was part of Valogna's project for psychology class. I was just helping him figure out a topic for his research paper due January is all. Also, what would this title matter to me? All that I care for is getting my studies over with and then I can leave with Kyousuke—!"

She immediately covered her mouth in shock, feeling as if she had made a dire move by revealing the fact that she was intimate with him. Taritsu Maurice Kyousuke Rutabaski: a world renown biologist and philosopher of doctoral history. He was far more prestigious than she could ever dream of being, and it was certainly something that her mother would approve of if she ever did reveal that they were already married. Well, not officially, but the laws in Kosuto back in 1997 still accepted an exchange of vows with trinkets of value and a witness as a form of marriage. She would still want to go through with an official ceremony, but knowing that he kept the memento and remembered her was good enough for now.

"Rutabaski Taritsu, huh? I really didn't mean to provoke you into acting so defensive, Yukinoshita. I'm sorry that my comments were an annoyance, but you should know that I really don't matter much in terms of judging your decisions. Besides, I know you lashed out like that to defend him; it would be such a surprise to everyone else though. They think you were an Ice Queen or something, you know?"

'_Ice...Queen?_' "Amy, why do you say that?"

"Students see you as their school idol. All school years have one, and you're just one of the lucky few that just happened to fit the criteria, I guess. Along with you is Miss Okra Herencia and Miss Cecilia Pawlitzki. Herencia is a sweet person to be around, but Pawlitzki has this air to her that makes her like some sort of lioness. Powerful and dangerous if provoked, but still acting in a manner that clearly isn't for her own interests. She—amazes me, you could say."

The two reveled in the silence as they had been wondering what exactly had made Cecilia act strangely. Euphemia thought that the girl had her sights on her friend, wanting to mess around with his life as he had informed her before going out on a trip with his group of teammates. Amy, was much more different on the matters of how to handle the situation; she knew that her charge—the one whom needed to be protected for her mission to be a success—had many people interested in him. Some wanted him to struggle, others saw him as an amazing person, and still, there was this small group that she had no real clue as to why they were attracted to him for no apparent reason. Was it his personal aura of mysterious enigma, or was there something else at play? She already knew that over five girls saw him as a wonderful person, which would make lots of males envious of his success. She knew everything she needed to about him. Her superior made sure to set up the mission in such a manner that she'd be able to.

"Guess this means the school will know his identity, now that news have been relayed. You've gotten your wish to meet with a Rutabaski too." Euphemia started off objectively, but then gradually degraded into a tone of pessimism. "Tell me something: Is Taritsu Rutabaski really like you said he is? Green eyes and dark hair, along with being incredibly fast, and representative of an ideal? How did you know him...before having met him?"

She took a while to speak, having been concerned with what sort of answer to provide. "Rutabaski Taritsu... I didn't know him personally. I'm not someone who stalks him or wish to do something terrible. However, I'm not saying that my reasoning for having told you that when I really wanted to meet him weeks ago was to just exclaim in glee. You see, his tragedy... reminds me of a close friend I once had. That friend of mine believed that he could protect everyone, but he quickly discovered that his goodwill required sacrifices—ones which he wouldn't dare impose on others to endure for him. Taritsu also shares his attitude, but when I told you about the details of his physical appearance, I was making the general assumption based on what people have said about him looking like his paternal grandfather when the man as in his prime. I guess this yearning to meet someone like my friend is just a Fangirl's Dream, but... I'm also sure that I wanted to see him because I wanted to ensure that he'd end up realizing that it's possible to have a happy ending. People like him are rare in this type of world, Yukinoshita. Don't... lose him."

Both soon were distracted by the voices of two boys arguing over some arbitrary discussion as they had stopped just inside the clubroom door that was left open.

"I told you, man. That paper ended up being lost after I took it from you."

"Lost, or did you turn it in to the director? I know you did something with it Henry, and it's not funny that you ended up going back on your word. What if something happened and they figured out that I wrote that paper, huh? I wasn't exactly serious about sending that paper, damn it"

'_What are they arguing about?_' Euphemia couldn't bear witnessing the disorderly conduct between the two boys. If she didn't intervene, then their issue might escalate into an exchange of fisticuffs. "Hey, I'm not certain about a paper, but if it would settle your dispute, I happened to come across one."

That instantly got Anthony's attention. At first, he was angry with the naivety of the girl, but figuring that she was sincere and had been one of the few people his associate interacted with, grew horrified as it was possible that he'd be subjected to a form of punishment if he so as threatened her with his ranting. "Don't tell me you had handed it over to Director Quinn."

"Well, I didn't... I had to correct all the fatal errors it had, due to the authenticity of it being a bit too biased. Coming from a company owned by the Sparks family made it seem like an interest group was hiding dark secrets, so there was a few changes here and there. Then there was the matter of the obscenities and slurs that were directed against the Sagratian officials. I'm not so sure about what deal their government has in terms of corruption, but calling them _Fascist Pigs_ doesn't seem authoritative enough to convince anyone."

Having blinked a few times, Anthony struggled to come out with a proper reply other than politely asking for a seat and pulling out the handheld computer which both he and his associate had.

"Hey, Rutabaski. Did that letter have any obscenities?"

{"Nah, none at all. In fact, it was too posh and proper to be true—like a true Sparks would write, Anthony. I couldn't believe it myself, but then I realized that the director probably commanded you to hold back on the anger."} The static brought Anthony to cringe momentarily, causing him to clean up the signal on his end to make sure nothing he said would be lost in transmission.

'_Anthony Sparks?_'

"Shut up, man!" He immediately defended his identity, but realized that having reacted in such a manner had caused the girl who answered him to display signs of passive aggressive anger, along with a sensation of the room feeling 15 degrees colder. He had to fix this somehow. "I mean—that background noise... IS THAT GUNFIRE? You're on another mission!"

{"Not a mission. I'm overqualified for something as simple as that, but I guess you can call it my moral duty. You see, I'm making sure these guys don't take over Acadia, and in doing so I'm hoping to figure out where their headquarters are located. It's too easy to call a mission anyway. However, I'm more concerned with how these low-lives are taking innocent students as hostages. You should really—"}

The sound that was heard was the mechanical track of a panzer, which then was proceeded by the thundering sound of metal being dented, and soon the yells of men as they tried to escape in fear of his intervention.

Having figured that his voice was cut off by something unexpected on his end, the group inside the clubroom grew concerned of his silence. He was never easily silenced by anything, so it was naturally perfect to assume that something grave happened on his end. Voicing their concerns for his safety, Taritsu could only apologize as he had found himself facing the super fighting robot of Doctor Xavier Light.


	31. Chapter 31

**Arc III**

**Chapter 7**

**The Unforeseen**

* * *

I should have joined my creator earlier when his group had gone. That was an inability of mine, for the responsibilities he given me required that I maintain peace and order within the community.

The other night, whilst I was inspecting the streets of Terranta and Solne by the request of my creator's father... I had witnessed someone whom I did not personally register within the databases provided by Vasilis Pioneeri, the trusted General of the Armies whom my creator's family were close friends with. This person was not like someone I had previously seen, but as far as my visuals could confirm he was indeed a male, and harbored some strange commodities I was certain only correlated with those wishing to bring chaos. From his appearance alone, I was able to figure that the male was most likely of the independent profession—so I needn't pay much attention to the individual as I made my way. Yet that bold appearance of his consisting of a half opened trench coat, large yellow scarf, formal gloves and sun glasses kept bothering me.

_Who was this man, and why did he seem familiar to me? _

My knowledge on him was incomplete, and I dared not pry on his privacy; my very presence alone was unsettling for most—making them think twice on committing to disorderly behavioral habits and crimes. Admittedly, the man seemed to yield the same aura as well, but it was subtle... and more humane. Rather ironic to state for some stranger, but part of the reason he fascinated me was the mechanical allure that exuberated from his person. I know that mere men and androids did not get along, since the premise of an android's existence was to assist in their quality of life, and my existence contradicted that what was the norm of society; Taritsu MK Rutabaski had ensured to grant me unalienable rights that one of freewill would arguably wield, though the way he managed to do that seemed more as if I were an extension of his being rather than a son or an offspring of his that had been raised to decide with justification on what needed to be done with the least amount of negative implications.

Neither my introspection nor simulations on the man based on the data that I was able to acquire from the short exposure I had of him was able to determine his character. Instead, I didn't need to bother asking for his compliance to sate my curiosity, for it was resolved by an unlikely manner of confrontation.

"You picked the wrong guys to cheat out of, rat. There's a price for freely taking our resources, and that's going to be much more than simply handing over all your possessions. Probably even worth more than your life, traitor!"

"No, please. I needed the money to pay for my family's meals; I didn't mean to take all your profits on florins for myself. I can pay it back, just give me a chance, I promise!"

"That's simply not going to cut it anymore. However, the gang does feel like they'd consider an extension on your deadline—so thank the hip-to-waist ratio of that wife of yours. We'll make sure to ease _her _pain. Am I right boys?"

They laughed as the main culprit instigated the hazing, and continued to deteriorate the dignity of the man and his wife's virtue. At this sudden breaking point, the meekness of the man dissipated and left him with a resolve that demanded him to protect his family from their authoritarian rule. Yet that sudden action of his was soon shut down as the leader caught his fist and kneed him in the gut, preparing for a particular brutality that even I didn't think twice of in jumping to action. I could see as both him and his supporters had raised their weapons of choice, but were soon confounded by the intervention of an unlikely candidate whom I had my eyes on.

"What the hell? L-Let go of the pipe, jackass."

Silent was the trench coated man.

Another of the gang of thugs charged at him with a steel chain, whipping it around the coated man's neck to keep him from bothering with their issues. However, while I would have intervened in the crime occurring just 100 meters away from my location, I had witnessed what I did not believe was even possible from someone of his caliber. The pipe that he had in his hand was pressed by merely gripping it, and his precision was extraordinarily well adapted—almost as if his primary occupation was that of a law enforcer. Without confirming his surroundings, he had somehow known that one of their members was going to ram into him with a car at 90 miles an hour, but he nonchalantly used the pipe to cut off his engine by applying more force into his grip. The thugs had witnessed what had occurred and back away in fear for a split second, before noticing that they had done something cowardly. It was likely that they had foolishly believed that the coated man had played an optical illusion on them with a pipe—obviously not knowing that there was a few shavings on the ground from having propelled the pipe with his hand alone. However, soon even I found myself doubting what I saw.

Racing across the street at speeds that seemed to rival my own, the man had quickly made his way to ease the car to a complete stop, then ripped out the doors with the chain which he still had around his neck. It was nightmarish and unfathomable for the gang, but miraculous for the father that had been victimized. Obviously, from the analysis of my scanner I was able to tell that his high level of acetylcholine was in response to what had just occurred, and the facial recognition data I had with me proved that he was anxious. Seeing the man turn around just after handling the remaining member by tying him to the light post nearby and heading his way, the father had soon found himself developing fear. It was a desperation which associated with his need of running to safety, but the fear was overwhelming his neuronal pathways, leaving him with stiffed legs planted in place. That was the moment when I decided to step in, but it was quite surprising to hear the coated man speak for the first time I laid eyes on him.

"Hey, are you alright?" He received no answer, and concluded that he needed to take a more delicate approach. Additionally, I believe he did not see me, or rather, he ignored me and took matters into his own hands to do the right thing. "Is your family alright?"

"Don't you dare harm them!" He choked out, then stumbled backwards as his nerves finally had registered what he wanted to do—though failed to run away from confrontation, leaving him much more vulnerable.

Sighing, his savior then looked over at me. Finally, I was recognized by this do-gooder.

"Take care of this man, officer. _I'm not... someone who fits in this changed world._" He said, then left after muttering his earnest opinion on his perception as a character.

That event was... perhaps powerful, and served vital to my memory banks as an intriguing mystery which I wanted to solve. My curiosity was piqued by his existence, and I wanted to know who he was. It certainly wasn't an individual of the Jakarta province; they were all pleased to do as they can in their own culture and rarely bothered to travel around the world as he had likely done so for a few years as the lens of his shades indicated years of use. Perhaps I was worried of my creator and his family, for this man seemed to also have his abilities and could rival him, but I doubted it.

_Actually, considering how tired he was after that fight... I'm pretty worried he'd meet someone out of his league someday._

Yes, I was worried. Taritsu MK Rutabaski was someone who I respected because he created me with memories of his own, but to ensure that I wouldn't remain idle like he had—added a tinge of Vejita Pioneeri's cynicism to my personality. I dearly cared for him, but I also found him paradoxically useless. He aimed to learn, but he rarely applied himself to start his own project without being told first. He was someone who knew a lot to say, but he kept quiet; he was someone who knew of people's sufferings, but allowed himself to be their scapegoat. My creator was never a violent loving person, for he found it grotesque to indulge in it. For him, violence was always a last resort that he would rarely need to take—and he would always ensure that he would find alternatives to violence, even when it was clear that someone was harming him or others.

If it were him in danger, he would feel sadness instead of fear and hatred, but if another—then he'd feel the pain of that victim and torment as he scolded the oppressor that it was not right to resort to wrong-doings. He saw these people as victims of the greatest things of dislike—pseudoscience and lies. And though he felt a rage seeing people harming his loved ones, he tried to calm himself from acting impulsively. I know... because his memories are what comprise my compulsive drive to bring justice to the community. I know, because he has many times feared losing control of his mind. In many cases, since he was little, he had felt as if something was off about him. That he was abnormal, and desired to behave without restrictions. It was from that fear, and the reinforcemental of insults and criticism of others that boldly claimed him as a demonic child and evil monster that lead to his angst.

But there was always a need to help someone, even if he doubted himself.

The day my creator left to Sagratia, I was conflicted by two premises. A) That the desire to belong is what civilizes man, and B) That belonging often times led to a fear of losing a sense of identity. It is not how many psychologists, sociologists, or pessimistic informatives mean by the sense of identity, but rather as my creator's father had once theorized and shared with him in a precious memory.

_There are often times where a group will feel xenophobia, Mauricio, and this xenophobia brings about the worst in everyone if not properly acknowledged. It is, perhaps, reality's test to see if we are masters of ourselves, that there is nothing that can stand in between us and loving our fellow neighbors, be it that you know them or not. Those that fail this test often times find themselves behaving irrationally and negatively, and much more likely to discover that they have committed an irreversible act that places them and those around them in emotional anguish and despair. They would seek to bring others down with them, and try to use others to find compensation for their loss. I don't know what exact desires they wield, but the similarities are written throughout history, my son. They fear what they do not know... because they themselves fear what they can't control. Don't feel bad that you defended Kakarotto from those bullies, Mauricio, but also... don't blame them for having been weak and vulnerable to this perceived, everlasting xenophobia._

Yes, that memory was dearly valued by my creator, and perhaps was the very motivation for his devotion to pacifism. It was this fear and plague of losing oneself to the drive induced by fear which belonging often violently nurtured.

My issue stems from that indecisive moment where instead of joining my creator, I justified that he was fine. Clearly he wasn't, and seemed a bit nervous of his own self, however, he maintained a strong image for his loved ones. I also made the justification based on Baddack attending the unveiling to figure what applications could be determined of the new technology by Alberto Sparks. Baddack most likely rejected his previous profession to thrive as an environmental analyst, but I knew that his training and instincts were not entirely casted away; the man had a strong sense of paternal devotion to his family—and that extended to Taritsu as well.

I could had done something, but instead I worried that I'd be ignoring my responsibilities, dishonoring his desire to assist. I decided instead to calm myself by listening to the wisdom of Nora Levy and Dr Wyle. How deplorable was it to hear what topics they spoke of, and while entirely intellectually stimulating, I found their comments unnerving and somewhat weak for once. Technology being used for acts of violence? There's always been a possibility, because technology is an extension of humanity itself; even if an android had gone rogue, it is likely due to the programmer's carelessness and lack of foresight for paradoxical growth overtaking their determined behavior. The Proteus IV from Demon Seed, excellent psychological thriller—as according to my creator—had been subjected to the sum of all human intelligence, making it have to sift through all the correct and incorrect choices, which may or may not be popular to the common man. This was what happens when technology is used to determine choices using logic; it is like calculating what rules to follow in the bible that may end up massacring millions because it was "better to regulate population forcibly" rather than persuading and teaching them of contraception.

That horror which I was reminded off brought me to think of my own existence, and though I am pleased to be what I am... I was still skeptical of whether or not I could really be myself. That I was really something original, rather than a copy of an existing persona.

The conversation continued, and though I was systematically voicing all that I could on what was right, it wasn't until when Dr Wyle spoke of an old historical record which brought me to an epiphany. _That man I saw that night_—_could he had possibly been the recreated son of the Pyrastrenean scientist from the early 20th century?_

The possibility ate at me, and I was disturbed at the fact that someone else may be suffering from what I am also suffering from—and that the relief I felt that another felt this way brought me relief. Why would I wish such a damned fate on another to be a possibility?

Honestly, I did not intend to have allowed my position on the sidelines to place him in danger, but my ignorance had almost cost him and his family to suffer from the results of the Sagratian Government's ire. How was it possible that I kept myself dead set on isolationism, when my concerns were clear and deeply rooted for his benefit. I'm not capable of experiencing this modernized concept of "love" as society has promoted it through a series of media productions, but I am certain that it is also the same for my creator. There exists for him familial, amiable, and unconditional forms of love—those which has been the norm of his exposure to his parents and their methods of raising him, but Taritsu is no slouch when it comes to knowing when a girl is attracted to him. He sees it... as a delusion and atrocity of the concept's original meaning—associating lust with the idea of innocent "love" which his ancestor Firanze had popularized. What I find strange of Taritsu is that he understands that there are people with corrupted misconceptions, but exactly how would it be possible that he would be impervious to the clear hints which his friend Charlotte was trying to tell him? Sure, she was probably afflicted by the misconception as well, and he didn't notice because he blocked the two concepts out of mind—causing him to not recognize the blurred distinction between the two. Then again... it could be that he did notice, but justified in his mind that he didn't deserved to have someone share his faults for their remaining lifetime.

It didn't matter. Charlotte deeply regarded him as irreplaceable, and had shown that she would do all in her power to bring him peace; that moment in which her neurotic tendencies dissipated before the authorities as she shielded him from their intentions was proof of it.

I hate him.

Why did it have to be this way? Why did you choose to ignore them and keep them in the dark—which merely adds on to the reasons why they would risk their very lives to ensure you are alright? Your lifestyle is in a whole other level of danger, and yet instead of reassuring that you are fine, you keep it to yourself!

I knew by the subtle change in persona that you most likely had been psychologically affected by the event that day; you noticed it, and took the opportunity because you saw a chance to live as a normal being, so your mind most likely repressed everything of yourself so that you could live a new identity. You left me with your Abandoned Memories, because you aspired for a life that could be fulfilled without resistance, and I hate you for that cowardice act. But you are not a coward, nor were you selfish in having done something so... phenomenal.

Taritsu MK Rutabaski, you choose to abandon ties with your previous conception of identity not because you grew tired or wished to run away, but because it was likely because you were hurting inside—and had wished not to alarm those who cared about you. You became perpetually silent after that event, but still respond when spoken to, because you knew that there was a small chance that you were going to lose that small ounce of self-control. What you are is not a coward, and certainly not a mindless monster with no regard for the lives of others. This choice that you made in giving up that identity of yours and leaving me with you past may have left me bitter at first, but I can comprehend the reasoning behind such action:

There is no weakness to your composure, and there is no hatred in you that left you without a choice. This memory loss that you instigated was because you understand that you were strong enough to endure such things, and in having reset your history, had also given those who oppose you a second chance.

May that sacrifice not be in vain.

* * *

Facing the light and dark blue form of the android before him, the Rutabaski Primogeniture had little time to consider what he needed to do with the unexpected encounter. It was clear to him that the android was acting on some directive that would bring order forcibly—as the evidence that it had tore open the panzer just moments earlier and—though there was slight hesitation before doing so—committed to tossing the inhabitants out without care. He did not know what exactly it wanted, but what Taritsu did understand was that the android was not to be approached so carelessly.

"Mauricio! What happened son?"

The voice of his father brought him to twitch from the tension of the atmosphere, and while he did await for the android to have reacted, it had seemed rather contempt simply observing them from where it stood. That skintight bodysuit and rounded coverings of its lower arms and legs, along with the finishing look of '_superhero briefs_' suggested that it was a foreign model, but Sedrick had quickly caught on to the appearance. Unfortunately that helmet it had with a raised light blue square in the forehead and a light blue ridge running straight back from the square, resembling an exclamation mark, brought the father's attention away from actually confirm his suspicions. Besides that, Sedrick found himself being swept back a few feet away as his son had decided on a strategic retreat, felt him take some of the pellets with him, and raced back to confront the android alone.

Except, Taritsu Rutabaski felt a bitter distaste knowing that the men thrown overhead had been experiencing a prolonged, dulled pain that needed care. Some of them were still complaining from their injuries, but others were conscious enough to realize that he had lowered his guard having been concerned for their health. They would had taken the opportunity to injure him, but a few dart snipes from afar settled the issue before they could bring the boy any physical harm.

"BASS?" He gasped at the realization that the artificial consciousness had arrived. The individual whom he known for a few months had proved to be quite beneficial, and proved more than worthy at being his side-kick, except there was a slight issue in having to deal with the snarky attitude it emulated from Vejita. In fact, one could even say that the scowl Bass had at that moment and the typical grunt of annoyance was exactly what one would expect from Vejita, but it was clear that it was more angered at the fact that Taritsu was careless, rather than being angered at the unauthorized appearance of the mysterious android.

"Who do you think you are, taking risks like that?"

"Relax, I'm plenty prepared to handle that—"

"That may be so, Taritsu, but you know nothing of this strange android!" Bass' cries made the boy reel back in shame of his carelessness. While he did raise a valid point, Taritsu was still willing to see what exactly he was dealing with, seeing as his speeds were vastly superior to any challenger. So long as the challenge did require passing his current stamina limit, which averaged around fifteen minutes as of lately, then there wasn't much to worry about.

"Reveal yourself, robotic scrap metal, or I'll recycle your parts to upgrade mine!"

He could have sworn that he'd die from the shamelessness choking the life out of him, but Bass had a point in having to deal with the foreigner like that. From what he could tell, its hydraulics were likely (at minimum) the strength of 100 average men, and there was that sense of energy balancing efficency that normally correlated with trained martial artists. Since this foreign "Hero" had shared those characteristics, it was likely safe to assume one of the few things that Dr Wyle spoke before on. "Bass, don't start a fi—"

"Information on my identity is classified, Marcus Bass."

Bass was going to reply angrily, but he was taken aback by how it knew information on him when not many have archived that knowledge. However, he didn't let that keep him from analyzing the android's data in secret. Bass merely utilized his surprise to distract the enemy from acting violently against them.

'_Light Labs? As in the man whom Dr Wyle was an acquaintance of, and the very same who had_—' His memory banks on that morality check program brought him to an epiphany that Taritsu had suffered by the hand of Light on the day he was graduating. He had no clue what the boy had done, since he most likely didn't include the memory due to Nora also working on his development, but the program's simulation was clear and evident that while he didn't choose to attack at all, someone else arrived to cause the aggressor to stop. '_I mustn't allow that android to harm Taritsu. It is likely that he has unfinished business and wants him to advance his plans._' "Then if it is so, I'll challenge you to a duel so that you'd tell me, Rock."

"H-how did you—?"

"Know? You're not dealing with the ordinary combat android, fool. I have my ways of knowing, just as I also know that you have a variable weapons syst—!"

The conversation was cut off as Bass found himself having to deal with several blasts—including _a_ BOULDER—thrown at him and Taritsu! While he could defend against all that was used against them, he was certain that Taritsu could only defend against the boulder. Or so, that was what he thought when the boy was standing there just a moment ago, then found him with microchips in his hand—presumably those of the enemy's reinforcements—and had also gotten rid of the boulder by utilizing the projectile of his father to crumble it in mid-air.

"MY THUNDER BEAM DATA!" Yelled out one of the members of Rock's reinforcements, who was then immediately silenced after having given away crucial secrets.

Looking at the number of chips he stole from the androids, Taritsu counted a total of six, before turning over to check if the one that had confronted him had any of his own. However, knowing that Bass had analyzed him already, he decided not to give anymore chances to the group working on behalf of an unknown entity. "Head back to where you report to, else I'll figure that you really want to be scrapped for Bass' backup parts. I'm giving you a chance to leave in peace, damn it!"

Rock didn't need to be told twice to get out of the area, but he did notice that the boy's behavior was different compared to the information he had on him. Was it outdated data... or did he mistake someone else for the prime target? It really didn't matter much, since he had to take his robotic siblings back to safety and report back on his findings. Then again, Rock was disturbed by the subtle twitch of his breathing—ragged and slightly heavier than he was before, almost as if he were suffering from some kind of infection. That thought was cast away, knowing that the one he confronted wouldn't want concern from a perceived enemy—especially since it seemed that his servant android was viciously guarding him at the moment.

GAH

The collapsed form of the adolescent on his knees as he had found himself panting from exhaustion alarmed Bass at once, and knowing from experience, screened the boy with the improved technology thanks to Dr Wyle's and Nora's efforts. From just counting the manner in which the boy was reacting to whatever he had trouble with, Bass knew that it was most likely the illness from before, having broke through his first and second line of immunological defense as he had suffered from before, but fortunately the difference was that his lymphocytes were quicker to respond this time around.

'_No biological changes to his physiology. The response seems to have been from a small breakout, but he is weakened._' Bass noted as Taritsu winced from having to endure the palpitations which he had consciously coaxed to prevent another one of his "rampages" as he had done last time. While he was glad the boy had enough strength to keep himself in check, there wasn't much reason in delaying medical attention just because Taritsu needed to keep his word and prove that he wasn't as they thought of him. '_Tch. It's the thought that counts, they like to say, but they don't give Taritsu any slack because he's different and 'privileged'. Damn them..._'

"Marcus, what happened? Did it do this to him!?"

"I'm fine father. I just... ran out of stamina is all." Taritsu stated after having rested a bit. He chuckled a bit, just to assure his father that everything was fine, but Bass knew that it clearly wasn't. Had it been possible, those androids would have infected the boy by piercing him and delivering the infection directly, but it seemed that the boy was lying about something. Or rather, he was unaware of the fact that something else entirely had happened to him.

"Signore Riccardo, allow me to transport Mauricio back to the company. I'm certain that tests are a must in this situation... and there doesn't seem much left to take care of, now that the rest of the hostiles have been taken care of and the civilians are entirely evacuated." Bass reasoned, to which Sedrick agreed without question. "I'll contact you once we arrive, so do not worry. Just focus on those advocates and find out where their organization's base of operations are located, okay."

* * *

For a father and daughter talk, Baddack was having a bit of trouble understanding how his youngest was in favor of such things. He had never expected her to have felt this way, especially after knowing that she was condemned from doing so as it was clearly obvious that she'd be rejected out of respect for her image as nothing more than family. Of course, it was hypocritical, and Baddack would had taught the boy a lesson... but he understood that the same had been true for him and his wife when he was single and still hurting from angst.

"Are you certain that's what you want, Charl?"

He noticed her gazing down on the curious specimen that she brought along with her from the overseas school, and quietly sighed in contempt for his daughter. Her reaction was natural, as it should be, and it brought Baddack relief to know that she hadn't lost her innocence after such controversial travesties. It was strange, but he enjoyed seeing his wife's level of maturity—somewhat like the child the others with such horrid past could not be, yet possessing a sort of worldly maturity that most others would lack—live on through Charlotte. Marguerite, in Baddack's eyes, was a sort of person who believed that the '_nature winning against nurture_' mentality was never absolute, as opposed to most other people who'd claim it was so.

"I am, _Père. _I want... to be with him, to help him—like you and_ Mère_ had been. A chance at happiness." She replied, making him raise his brow as he found her words enticing. To feel the nostalgia of that attitude once more, Baddack seriously considered rejecting his daughter's request to see if she was genuinely the same as_ her_, but thought better of it as he had seen how dedicated she was; by having placed herself between Taritsu and the authorities and not once having hesitated in her choice, there wasn't much to be skeptical of as it was clear how far she was willing to go. '_I'm not one to encourage what they can or can't do, but if this is going to be a reality_—_then I'm going to kill the kid if he two-times the girls. That is, if Yanagi does not beat me to it first._'

That said, the father sighed and gave a slight smirk to his daughter after seeing her unwavering resolve to see things through. '_Just like Marguerite had been when I told her she shouldn't bother involving herself with me._' "Alright. If this is what you wish, then I have no objections, but... you must promise me you'd understand that he needs to accept things with you first—lest you'd just set yourself up in utter disappointment when he chooses no. Another thing, Charl—you need to also keep in mind that—."

Frantic knocking on the door divided his attention as he was about to tell Charlotte an important rule she needed to keep in mind. He had no problems in not being able to say it—since the possibility in such activities were practically non-existent, but Baddack was still a responsible parent and knew that he had to inform his daughter of managing her virtue as a sacred asset that she inherited from her mother.

"Uncle," started Taresu with urgency after seeing what had happened, took notice of his little cousin inside the office, and changed his tone to keep it from sounding hopeless. "You're needed by Doctor Wyle."

"I'll be there, Taresu." Baddack calmly responded, stood up, and began placing on his lab coat over the signature styled pinstripe shirts he'd typically wear. "I'll also return soon, Charl, so wait here while I'm gone. Understand?"

Nodding, Charlotte satisfied her father with an obedient answer, then spoke up to commentate her father on a subtle choice he made. "_Père_... you're not wearing purple or black today. Sapphire and white looks nice on you; try to keep it that way." She finished telling him, which merely brought a smile come forth from her father as he heard his daughter find the colors compatible with him; the very same which he associated with tenderness and reassurance.

Left alone, the young Valogna child began wondering what could had possibly happen that required her father; normally, he would simply file papers and conduct research on what the country needed to focus on to improve the environment each year. So far, thanks to the progress achieved with deep-sea exploration, the Kairne Environmental and Infrastructure Services of Ordana which her father managed struck fortune in discovering a long lost solution to the historical flash-point. It was said that drones exploring around the area of the alleged Latitude and Longitude of the final battle that Tarique Rutabaski, Princess Sefarina Abano, and Fabian Valentine had been in brought back evidence of oxygen generating technology!

'_Wouldn't he be ecstatic to know this is possible_—_to find old technology our predecessors had left behind?_' The tale was said to be simply legend, nothing more than just a fairy tale, but Charlotte knew from the stories of her great-great grandmother that there indeed was oxygen generators. They were part of something called the Pavlopetri Temple, which had been a monument to the goddess Celia since her wisdom and intellect had always been known to prepare for and invest in the future.

"Pretty ironic, right Sis?"

"_F-frère?!_ What's been... how have you been?" She began nervously, determining whether or not she was being spoken to by the malevolent spirit or the real Kakarotto. "Yes, I suppose it is ironic that the answer to renewable energy was found—then quickly lost with the Great Flood, but please—tell me: How's... life?"

"Meh. Pretty bored actually. I'm not saying that what's been going on was trivial, but you got to admit: Taritsu really let them have it when he broke their chains!" He said with overwhelming enthusiasm, leaving Charlotte with little to offer but her confused expression at the reasoning Kakarotto had. At the sight of her confusion, he offered her a comprehensible definition. "He—Taritsu—freed them from being captives to a system. Xenophobia and Tyranny of the Majority. In numbers there is strength, Sharu, which is why Taritsu's victory was something I found... exciting!"

He then gave a laugh while placing his arms behind his head as he began relaxing in the room with her. Charlotte, seeing him hop onto their father's chair, was about to tell him otherwise until she remembered that he couldn't really mess around with things unless he had the proper matter to interact with. "So your pet has been having fun, I see. Doesn't it miss its old home?"

"Sonic is more than glad being with me. I've provided him with food, and allowed him as much freedom as he possibly would want." She stated with an authoritative tone that would make men cringe in fear. However, Kakarotto was immune to that. "Why are you looking at me like that? I told you the answer, so what's wrong with it?"

"Sister, bounding the hedgehog like that would be like bounding Taritsu to yourself like a prisoner. Don't you ever consider how you would feel like if you were limited in your life by another being's set of criteria? Would you enjoy living such a life like that, or would you abhor such life? Besides, I know that you love him, because you're frightened of losing him."

"I can't..." Charlotte muttered slowly as she had averted her eyes to the floor, where they happened to capture the moving form of the blue hedgehog, which then took notice of her emotional state and stared up at her with what would seem as concern.

"You can't?"

"I can't, imagine... such a life. I already had been used to living a lie—_Père_ told me to live as if I were you. At first I went along with it, seeing as I didn't want to make him worry... and I was afraid, truly afraid. He said that he needed to do things... to visit this specific hospital each month. At first, I thought he was going to leave me, like you and _Mère _left us, but he told me that there wasn't much concern."

Kakarotto kept silent, knowing what their father had been doing, but also that saying anything about it would disrupt their relationships. '_This is about her problems, not dad's or the family's. One day_—_it'll be resolved. Hopefully civilly and with understanding._'

"So I believed him, and practiced male behavior of what would had been your age at the time. It was frightening at first, and especially since Cheisu told me that the biggest problem would had been in convincing Taritsu nothing was wrong; I didn't even meet him and I was frightened to the core by the mere thought of making him suspicious, but he accepted me and our friendship grew as if nothing had change between him and Kakarotto Valogna. Maybe I was in denial, or perhaps because I was afraid of _Père _getting angry, but I kept the secret from him, and that made him angry after finding out the secret, but I know that this feeling I have—it isn't lust or selfishness. I guess, what I'm feeling is a need to be accepted as Charlotte. Taritsu grants me that need, so I do know how it feels like to be bounded by another's criteria, but I am just keeping Sonic for a while longer before he needs to return back to that island we encountered him at." She ended on a high note, feeling relieved of a heavy burden, as well as bringing her brother a feeling of satisfaction in her understanding things clearly.

"I'm glad you realize that, but how are you going to return something that isn't here?"

'_What is he_—_? Sonic! Where is he?_'

Searching the room desperately, she noticed a small awning window had allowed the creature to make its escape, a thought which brought Charlotte a horrified reality that she hoped to avoid. Making her way past the warehouse floor, the young Valogna hurried over to where her brother had led her over as he had a way of knowing (fortunately) and found herself barging in on the clinical treatment area.

"Oh, hey, Kakarotto. Fancy seeing you her. Then again, this little guy wouldn't be here if you weren't." She heard the familiar voice say, causing her to widen her eyes as she did not expect to see someone like him be treated for his health. Especially since she knew he was incredibly robust.

Most of all, what she did not expect was seeing someone else in the room that she did not believe would had been needed. Beside the redhead neurosurgeon who her friend had helped out weeks before—Adrian de Folli—Charlotte found herself staring at BALM'S own redhead.


	32. Chapter 32

**Arc III**

**Chapter 8**

**DAN-000 (Part 1)**

* * *

"Y-you-you're in bed...?"

"That's right." The boy said with more enthusiasm than normal, but Charlotte couldn't catch up on his forced cheer. Then, with what strength he had in him, gave the mammal over to Nora who understood that the Valogna child had entered merely because of the critter's escape. "There's something wrong with resting, Kakarotto?"

"N-no. I just find seeing you bedridden unexpected, is all. Weren't you handling issues over at Acadia, earlier today?" She asked, making sure not to seem as if she were too concerned that it would give her away before she could privately involve Taritsu in with what she and her father were speaking earlier about. Besides, she was also awry of the BALM agent present in the room, and didn't want to say something that would likely allow third parties to figure they could defeat Taritsu easily. '_Maybe she's just here because Director Quinn asked his son to bring us news. Yeah, that's why she's here._'

Bass was about to answer for the boy, but Baddack was quick to begin the verbal scolding that Charlotte deserved for having went against his command. It wasn't entirely harsh, but it was enough to get the girl to bashfully try to keep her embarrassment from being the topic at hand. Eventually, Taritsu cleared his throat loud enough for his uncle to take notice of the boy and allow him to speak. "I was in Acadia, and that mission was finished, but I happened to fall victim to my sleeping schedule that I started at the academy. Bass brought me in, thankfully, but I'm sort of ashamed that I put a scare to all of you for being sent here immediately instead of resting elsewhere." He said, then chuckled a bit before elaborating on what the reason for having checked in at the facility was. "It seems Bass was concerned for my health, since there were abnormalities in the readings—but thankfully Adrian confirmed that there wasn't much to fear. I'm pretty sure I may end up owing this guy more things than I could ever acquire in a lifetime."

"It was nothing really," Adrian began, denying any responsibilities he had in assuring everyone that the boy's health wasn't in any critical state. "He just needed rest to keep himself in check from a metabolic coma."

"I highly doubt that would had been dangerous, _De Folli_. If lack of sleep wouldn't have killed him, then his mother would for giving everyone a scare." Bass sneered, mimicking a certain Pioneeri's attitude. "_Such an irresponsible scoundrel Taritsu had to be._" Whispered the automaton as it gave Baddack, Doctor Wyle, and Amanda Burnes the signal for their overstay.

Before leaving the room to discuss what was pivotal in the matters of their world's future, the woman stopped midway through the door and gave Taritsu some rather peculiar news. "The man the organization had been interrogating recently—I think you met him before as he was working with that small group that infiltrated Ironhead Systems. You know, that facility in Ledruan." She paused just as quickly as she began, likely to give the boy some time to think as he was more than likely tired from the day's events. However, Amanda was more concerned with the Sagratian neurosurgeon than she was for the teen's convenience. "We were able to find out who exactly they were working for, thanks to that man who had crashed the Sparks Convention in November. They aren't an enemy to be concern with, and their intentions are rather surprising compared to how they have conducted their missions... but you can rest assured that these members of EASY are simply a fragment of their former glory—and are trying their best to manage through the modern age. In fact, my advice to you is to make a treaty with them and handle WUSS with their assistance; better to work together on the same goal than managing apart." '_Then maybe... the world would take Rutabaski seriously as they did JMR 50 years ago._'

"Guess I'll leave too, Tari-sensei." Nora teased, then told Adrian to follow suit, which left only the two friends inside the room for them to speak in privacy. At least, it would had been, had the oldest of the two ignored his instincts that allowed him to tell who was just around the corner keeping an eye on them for any problems that might arise. Yes, Bass was not someone to worry about judging them, but Taritsu understood that Nora might just stumble upon what may had occurred between the two friends during this special moment together while conducting a mandatory inspection.

'_T-this is awkward_.' Charlotte thought, just before having heard her friend begin speaking up on what he wanted to do.

"_Sharu_, I'm a bit curious as to how you've been spending your time lately." He started, before realizing how rude and perverted it sounded out of context. With a flushed face on his friend's face having heard the words, he silently scolded himself and continued explaining things. "This isn't a date proposal or anything, but are you free on the fifth of January?"

"We head back to the academy that day, Taritsu." She reminded. "Why? Do you have something planned out that day?"

"Not one particularly bounded to a specific date, but I am longing to go back to that island with you. I'd steal you away with me right now, but I'm sort of restricted by my stamina right now. I better get proper rest if I—Are you alright?"

Seeing the girl beet red and looking sick, the concerned adolescent leaned forward to place his palm on his friend's forehead, making her subjected to further embarrassment as she found his innuendo flawlessly executed. "_Taritsu no ecchi._" She whispered, more to herself than to the one she felt a grand affection for.

'_So she doesn't feel that way. Good. I didn't want to end up breaking her heart when I reveal my feelings, though I do feel like she's limiting herself around me._' That was a lie, or at least a partial one that he fooled himself into believing. What was troublesome for the boy was having to actively acknowledge that he was having cognitive dissonance when regarding his mother's recommendation; if anything, he felt a need to take Charlotte as his own, but he knew both in his heart and mind that such a desire was wrong. Instead, he decided to trick himself into believing that he didn't deserve the girl—that he merely thought of her as a sibling—and that she did so as well. That was the functional methodology of ignoring his true feelings... at least until he heard her say that phrase and read her accepting body language that clearly didn't reject him behaving as such. '_Why... why do I feel hurt, when there's no physical pain... no rejection..._'

"Ah, you're not running a fever. Thank goodness." His words had instinctively brought the girl to take notice of his approach, causing Charlotte to drown in her shame and begin speaking drivel. With the incoherent words filling the boy's ears, the two finally came to a conclusion of seizing their contact with one another, leaving them in awkward, but appreciated silence.

"I had been keeping in touch with Stephanie, as well as working on a project of my own that's still in development, but... What did you have in mind, seeing as you're serious about being productive with me?"

At this, the adolescent took his chances and leapt with them. "_Sharu_, I'm going to have to be brutally honest with you, and you'd probably hate to hear this sort of news, but I had a run in with some—errr—Automatons! Actually, it was one of them that had caused me to blank out in thought as its actions had drawn my attention away, but it had six others with it that was essentially its backup. Look, I defeated them, but only enough to simply take their parts for combat purposes. See?"

Seeing the microchips in his hand, Charlotte's eyes shined with hundreds of ideas that her friend could do with them, but she new that they weren't based on violence or petty revenge. No, Taritsu was different, and did not need to rely on combating those androids with their own weaponry; exploiting their systems, though, was highly probable though. More than likely, but not the definite option he was going with. That is, had Charlotte not asked her friend what his intentions were before taking out the red, digital encyclopedia provided by Director Quinn, and contacting Vejita on what had happened during his absence.

{"_Nothing much. Just some pathetic supporters of the World Utopia Supremacy Society and the typical BS you and I could easily manage on our own. In fact, all of the things that happened afterwards feels like the typical routine_—_though I am a bit impressed with how the task force extracted information from these feeble worms. Oh, and by the way: Call that privileged brat from the academy. Make sure to tell him to not bother me with such pathetic whining of his_—_intimidated by a mere female. Ha! That's why western society fails at cross-cultural gender communications_—_and why the Kairnese men are regarded as romantics. Honestly, you need to see to it that you secure a woma_—_. _"}

"Thanks for the info, Vejita." Taritsu cut off as he had enough of the young adult's terrible advice. However, he was right about some things, and that was the need to contact his friends back at SEGA. With a quick recall on the phone numbers he had logged into his phone that had been left behind at home, he waited patiently for the childhood friend to pickup as he played off Charlotte's questioning gaze off by feigning ignorance to Vejita's advice. Except, Charlotte could not understand what messages he was signaling her to pick up on. "I'M NOT INTERESTED IN WOOING GIRLS." He spelled out slowly, which then brought him a bone-chilling realization that the normally associated ringing of a phone was absent as he finished the sentence, hearing what every male feared from their closest female comrade. Nothing.

"No-no. I wasn't being rude, I swear! It's just that I was speaking with someone else, Eu-chan." Taritsu frantically began, noticing the subtle twitch from Charlotte at the way he phrased his sentences and used that childish nickname from long ago. Another clear evidence of what he was actively trying to ignore, and it ate at him as he did just that.

* * *

Soothing the boy's emotional wounds as he had been beaten at a game of wits, Henry continued to pay attention to what the girls were doing as Anthony's challenger had just received a phone call. And apparently an unexpected one at that—but one which seemed to be good news as the girl who had previously been concerned of Rutabaski was instantly relieved as she heard the voice of the caller. Though she did frown a bit as he loudly proclaimed his disinterest in gaining the affection of the opposite sex. A terrible mistake, especially when the person one is speaking with is someone as dangerous as she.

That apparently didn't faze her—contradicting Henry's expectations of how it would play out.

"I know, Kyou..." She quickly surveyed the area around her, wondering if there was any unwanted eavesdroppers nearby. Eventually satisfied, she instead settled for a nickname that she had subconsciously picked up on, and smiled while doing so. "...Kyon-kun."

'_O~kay. Seems like she wasn't pissed off by that comment. Guess they both have a fling going on for one another... which further proves that Rutabaski doesn't swing that way as I first thought._'

"Eh? I'm not even certain if I can leave the island without permission though, but why so suddenly?" Euphemia's distressed reply dented Henry's mind as he placed his thoughts away to continue listening, knowing how serious the tone of their conversation had shifted. Perhaps it was a life-threatening circumstance that made the Rutabaski Primogeniture request such a wish from Yukinoshita, but Henry knew that the likelihood of circumstance was low; the boy had survived from things that should have ended him long ago—not to mention his neck-breaking speed—so there was not much to worry with such a record. However...

"Here. He wants to speak with you." The 13 year old handed over her phone as the boy had requested to speak with one of his comrades. Seeing as Anthony was still out of it (not to mention having pissed her off) Euphemia handed it to the respectable Henry Blakes as he was far more responsible than the rude, younger Sparks sibling.

"_Y'ello?_"

"Oi! Thanks for answering Henry; I had this vibe our _friend_ did something regrettable, so I'm going to have to run this by you. Got that?"

In agreeing with him, Henry learned of the boy's encounter and issues—which fortunately wasn't told to Anthony, as he would had make a dramatic scene—and finished speaking on the note that he needed to make a crucial decision. Specifically speaking: Taritsu was highly anxious of what was needed to be done with the hostility automatons had displayed, and he had a hunch that it was a deadly conspiracy. One which he was glad to have spoken with Henry about on his own—without having to reveal to Charlotte or Euphemia of his current, neurotic thoughts on the matter. God forbid he reveal the news that there actually existed some sort of threat that he wasn't able to handle; Charlotte knew herself that there was that one particular man who had bested him at the World Trade Center, but Taritsu was under the assumption that he wouldn't be able to escape. Now... he was heavily prepared for every variable possible that his philosophy allowed for—so long as he was capable of outperforming the adversary.

"I wouldn't take such risks." Stated Henry, completely bringing the Kairnese adolescent to a blank state of mind. His reasoning was simple and rationally expected—having kept up with the news which Anthony's brother had provided as an insider of the military industrial complex, which alone didn't seem to add up as Henry didn't know much about the Sparks siblings on a personal level. Ignoring that, he was far much more concerned with Taritsu's subtle actions being part of his plan, rather than tackling the problem head on. "Look. I'll join you and with some support from your allies at home… we'll expose the adversaries responsible. They've done something corrupt, by what you have stated. Automatons aren't supposed to be superior compared to the top percentage of Kairnese super-soldiers, and taking out a tank constitutes that someone's operating on a hidden agenda. That's illegal, and it ain't even the good kind of vigilantism!"

There was a pause after Henry explained the perfect reasoning, and he had taken that moment to survey his environment, knowing that what he was speaking was controversial and highly volatile if their private conversation became knowledge to the girl inside the club room. Fortunately, he saw that the one referred to as Euphemia Yukinoshita was currently engrossed with her own conversation with that pink haired friend of hers—Amy Raisa—so he didn't have much to be concerned about. Best not to delude himself with problems that didn't exist in the first place; it wouldn't do him good if his blood-pressure was messed up due to anxiety.

"No." The younger male finally replied, causing the normally chill Henry Blakes to exclaim loudly in effect. Having seen that Amy had checked up on him for the abnormal behavior, the elder male apologized and returned to the conversation at hand once explaining that he would just need a minute to conclude.

"What do you mean, "No"? Do you understand what risks you're allowing by rejecting this, plan?"

"Henry, I wouldn't take such risks either, but committing to something like that ourselves would bring up a scandal, especially since the party responsible was—." He took a moment to speak to someone else who was in the room, most likely the individual who had intel on what he wanted to speak of. "Light Labs, according to Bass here."

"Who the hell is Bass?"

"Marcus Bass—an electronic consciousness I brought into existence earlier this year. He's chronologically just half a year old, but you can't argue with the flawless results he's provided to all of us since his debut."

"So, he's your own cybernetic butler—like Kurzgesagt to Anthony and Alberto?"

"Guess you could say that, but that's not something he'd like to be compared to. Especially since the guy has an attitude." Taritsu replied, knowing that they needed to wrap up their exchange quickly. "Instead of exposing the company for their illegal activities as you proposed, I'm going to equip Bass here with their own weaponry—give them a taste of their own technology. I've happened to have stolen some of their tech, and Bass will be equipped with whatever renovations I can come up with. Of course, it would look like I'm being a bit too careless here, but Bass' upgrade modification won't be harmful to humans; the goal is to apprehend those automatons, while also retaining a sense that he doesn't violate the Android Superiority Clause the AN council agreed upon. Besides, what if they retaliate and send out an army against us? We don't have many people to take care of such a situation, and I was bedridden after a mere fifteen minutes of activity!"

At this final line of his commentary, the Sagratian male heard an exchange between his current conversation partner and another, all whilst he patiently awaited for the boy to return so that they'd finish. '_Damn. I've went over that minute I promised._'

"Oi! Looks like we might actually take a third option." Startled Taritsu after learning incredible news from Bass' memory files on the research he had on the Trench Coated Individual.

* * *

Dusk falling, the old Valogna matriarch awaited comfortably as she had expected seeing her companion—Valery—as she had news to share. The girl, not more than perhaps 15 years, looked surprisingly innocent, but Valeria knew that behind such an appearance was the wisdom that she too had obtain at a young age.

With a relieved sigh, the elderly woman took her moment of rare solitude to reflect on what exactly needed to be done as of lately. Thanks to her grandnephew's actions, the nation was able to avoid another societal upheaval that Sagratian officials have stirred within communities, and had tried punishing the young primogeniture for something involuntary to his identity. Like his great-great grandfather, young Taritsu MK Rutabaski was raised with more or less the same values; Tarique was raised a gentlemen who enjoyed what life had to offer—an adventure of the unknown—while Taritsu had polished courtesy which was a valued asset of his to acquire knowledge from those who'd normally state that a mangy child shouldn't bother with such commodities. How was it possible for the times to change, where adults had grown to fear what the youth can and cannot be exposed to?

"The turn of the century has been dousing curiosity of the individual. Economic goals, conquest, and authority—all built and secure by people's fantasies, expectations, and conditioning. The very essence which you had remembered from the previous decades, Lady Valeria, have been slowly deteriorating by the brainwashing seminars by the form of popular media. Truly, it disgusts me to think that this world had departed from what originally was intended for it." Spoke the blonde girl as she had finished tending to a child she had agreed to be in charge of. "I can see why you had brought me into this timeline—using that origem in the pendant. The _TIME_ gem."

"Don't speak so suddenly like that! I'm not as virile as I used to. Besides, I'm still wondering if I did bring the real deal; to think that the person whom once was regarded as loving and forgiving was this cynical in her past." Valeria advised. She was tired, and wondering how much longer she had to endure before having her own chance of "_Peace of Mind_" as she knew her brother should currently have in the afterlife. "You're supposed to be my god!"

"Shhh... You'll wake up Lucina." Valery hurriedly explained with motherly concern. In all honestly, the two had interacted in such ways which resembled Valeria's relationship with her sole daughter, the daughter whom her current great-great granddaughter had never had a chance to know. Yet, it was distinctly different from how the two behaved as well. "Don't forget, your abilities of manipulation involve replication—you merely copied a version of me that had been tired of the duties that kept me bound to the afterlife dimension; I could have denied your request, blocked your powers so that you couldn't bring my copy into your reality, but I didn't. My reason was simple, really, so keep in mind that when you had done something like that—if it had been someone else other than I, they could have been far worse. I could had been your friend, or even enemy, but I chose instead to honor you for your devotion, Valeria. For your sacrifices, such sacrilege that this world had imposed are forgiven, and it has paved a path for little Taritsu."

The woman blinked twice before returning to her mind for a rational reply.

"I suppose you would wonder why I became bored of the afterlife in the first place, though." Valery sighed, having maintained the rule that she would not allow revealing too much that could lead to Valeria's madness. In fact, when they had first met, she was originally going to reveal to Johannes that she existed, but told her that such an idea would bring calamity and chaos. The same was more or less similar for Taritsu when she confronted him for having trespassed, but that was subtle suggestions that she implanted in the boy's mind as to not seem out of place. If it meant lying to the boy so as to keep him from saying anything about her being too informative of Valeria's life, then so be it. "I have missed what its been like to feel sensation in this realm: things don't taste... creative in the afterlife, but I guess that's just because I long for the essence of Nobility. At least _he_ had what I have lacked, and true to his word, he still exists—though most concentrated in certain, spiritually strong individuals like the Rutabaskis. I take it is the doing of his offspring sharing his essence. No matter, I understand that what I most missed about Nobility, was his effect on me; that realm is more like an imprisonment of truth, ignorance, but I suppose most wouldn't be able to tell the difference between _Peace of Mind_ and Nirvana—for both numbs all sense of self."

'_Then how did you manage to keep your individuality?_' Valeria frustratingly thought, but then calmed her nerves hearing the distant voices of her family. She recognized the adolescent voices of Taritsu and Charlotte, but who were the third and fourth voices among them? Her eyes widened once realizing that her grandnephew's grandson had brought along another pair of girls with him, making her scowl at his philandering undertone which had likely been repressed. Or he simply was in denial of his attraction to the opposite sex. However, scolding the boy would have to come from his mother, as Taritsu would immediately recognize Valery and compromise what plans the two had and had yet in motion. "You must hide, Valer—!" She looked around, wondering where the girl had gone off to, then let out another relieved sigh as her companion was not foolish enough to let herself be seen by anyone else in the family.

"Auntie Valeria, how have you been?"

* * *

"How much longer, man? This mission's bori~~~~ng!"

'_Oh? Then I guess the necessary treatment is a good beating_—_I mean training._' "Trust me, I don't want to be here as much as you do, but this is necessarily our responsibility, Sparks." Vejita emphasized the family name to rub in the known fact that the brothers were known to be rather impatient, though Alberto was more civil and considerate about it than Anthony. "Besides, we're following the information you provided for us during research, so don't blame me for the long ride—blame the damn fact we can't fly around in the arctic without the high risk of crashing into a mountain!"

The group traveled in silence after that, with everyone being certain that it would end soon. Plus, Vejita was determined to see it completed and without failure; being asked by Taritsu as a favor which he stated the young adult could cash in at twice the value, Vejita didn't think twice about accepting. He just needed to silence Anthony whilst their driver and leading expert, Vasilis, focused on getting there safely. With not much to say between them, and no radio to kill the time, Vasilis decided on stirring up a conversation with at least one of the boys. "So what's going down that you've decided to investigate all the way out here?"

"It's a project from the late 70s we're looking into, Mr. Pioneeri; we've gotten word by Taritsu on the possibility that such a being—possibly a result of the project—exists." Henry answered, and rather professionally and clean at that.

'_Hmm, so Sedrick's son is finally being an active player... glad to know he's on our side then._' Vasilis hummed in agreement, then told the boys to remain quiet as he cut the engine off. The sight of multiple vehicles—and a small airline cruiser craft had brought the elder male a sense of helplessness as he had literally not registered it on the radar, which would had meant the end of them had he not reacted quickly on time. "I thought you said that no one hangs much around here when you asked me to lead you, Vejita."

"Not my fault father," said young man retorted as angrily his whispering allowed him. "I did say that it's mere research of the location. Additionally, Blakes here said that members of some group of Ecologists would likely hang out here for their own projects, so don't blame me." He finished, bringing everyone to stare at Henry with scowls that forcibly asked the boy to admit his blunder. Yet, even if he had been the one to easily blame in that situation, Henry accepted the mission because he trusted the one person who suggested it in the first place.

"Hey, when Rutabaski and I infiltrated Ironhead Systems, we encountered some scientist named Captain Cool."

"Leonard K. Coolidge." Anthony corrected.

"Anyway, he—Taritsu—said we wouldn't need to worry about encountering him, nor his colleagues. His references were BALM, so if you're interested in blaming someone, blame them. I wanted to destroy the androids from Light Labs immediately, but apparently this is safer than taking the heat."

After some time of reflecting on what to do, Vasilis finally made his choice that would advance them forward. However, if he was going to take such risks, then he would need to inform the boy's of his decision before acting upon it. "Look... if they're the scientists from EASY, then I would had at least managed to register one of them by radar. No known technology on Eudora can mask it's presence, especially with the high quality, custom made tech I own as the current head of the Pioneeri household. But... if you insist that we're safe, then we'll continue advancing forward. Just know that this doesn't make me feel safe though. So be on guard for any oncoming signs of hostility."

"Don't worry. I got us covered." Anthony informed whilst holding a portable Electromagnetic Pulse weapon that he modified to detect even the slightest emission of energy. It was part of his project over the winter, which had been focused on maintaining an eye on the Arc Reactor's location at all times. Suffice to say, he found such a task boring and ineffective for the security teams standing by to simply stand inside the closed room, so he came up with a few modifications and viola!

"Alright. Then it's settled. Vejita. You're driving, since I'm prepping the Tumbler for heavy fire that we might be exposed to." Vasilis stated as he got down to business and began activating everything that was necessary for their forced entry. Since Vejita had been trained with simulated runs of all the vehicles the family owned, Vasilis was more than confident he would complete his task, but there was still a small risk in the accompanying boy's coming to harm, so he urged them to strap down for the initial acceleration.

As they were about to launch, Anthony received am urgent message, which had critical info on what the group needed to know. It explained why they weren't on radar, and also continued to reveal what they were doing in the area. The message itself had urged them to avoid creating a scene, but unfortunately, Vejita was too engrossed with the military vehicle to have heeded the request, ultimately bring all of them racing through the snow at 280 kilometers and busting through the heavily closed entrance which the scientists present before them had been careful not to harm.

"Never again will I ride in a vehicle if you're driving." Anthony proclaimed, then took note of his surroundings as he was piqued by the abandoned scenery which had been the lab of Doctor Zelenyy L. Azerbaijani.

"Quickly. Everyone enter the lab and collect data! We might not have time to do this patiently, but at least we have an hour before anyone of the Pyrastrenean Government comes to check out the problem!" Yelled one of the commanding officers that was in charge of the Ecological Association for Sequential Youths. In having said that, the members were all grouped together at the entrance, holding their nonfatal weaponry to combat whatever threat was possibly inside the black vehicle.

"Hold your fire. This is the group Kojiro said would arrive, and also one of the youths I happened to encounter on that one mission; he's a tough one, but at least we needn't worry about loyalties here." Spoke a familiar voice which Henry recognized as Captain Cool.

Once having heard they were in the clear, Vejita rolled out strategically, standing up just a few feet to Henry's left and enough distance for him to evaluate where they were. The rest of the group... exited the Tumbler less dramatically, but still retaining caution as both Vasilis and Anthony took note of the environment's details. With them all out, Henry began dragging the vehicle outside where it wouldn't disturb, whilst the others began discussing their overlapping goals in having arrived at the abandoned lab.

According to Coolidge's associates everything in the first room was barren and full of empty crates—likely a means to distract any explorers whom managed to enter. They knew from the reports provided by Ironhead Systems' archives that there was at least three other rooms, but it would take the team several minutes to pass through each secured gate. Minutes which they couldn't spare, but took the challenge regardless.

"Yes. That's exactly why we sabotaged the company; their experimentation with artificial intelligence and autonomous technology skids over to a slippery slope, one which could doom us all. If not because of global warming as I predicted in a much more mundane scenario of the top percentage of the Super Wealthy, then the problem would result from a new World War." Coolidge answered, feeling obliged to inform them of the intentions the organization had. Having done that, he joined the other members in breaking in the sequential room, aiding them with the cooling device and spraying where the most stressed points of the gate was. "Ram it off the hinges. The chains would break as soon as you crash into it, but remember to keep skin contact to a minimum with this type of ice."

Obeying to his advice, they did what was needed to be done and managed to gain access to the second room, allowing everyone else who awaited to see what was supposedly the security breach response to Doctor Azerbaijani's lab.

A set of motion activated flame throwers!

"Keep away from the heat. The emission are volatile if exposed to heat, so we need to keep our distance in order to bypass this."

After a while of committing to breaking through the levels of the Artic lab, it was finally a victory for the investigation as they saw before them what was left of the former glory.

"Seems the Pyrastrenean Government raided the place after the old man shuffled off this mortal coil." Vasilis stated whilst everyone else began taking as much samples as possible, along with checking for any hidden areas where the former owner of the lab would have stored valuable research from thieves. Sweeping a finger on the musty, cold desk and checking through all visible drawers, Leonard Coolidge found himself raging from the undeserved frustration. It was literally raided from every nook and cranny, which—having seen the time that remained for their investigation—caused the scientist to growl at the failure their attempt at discovering what conspiracies existed had become. At least until Anthony found a small, misaligned tile that was practically impossible to notice behind the blue ice that camouflaged the secret panel.

'_The doctor was truly someone wise if this lever was meant to hide his most valuable possessions. Fortunately the ice hasn't been tempered with, so there's a great probability that we'd find what we're looking for._' Coolidge had thanked the younger of the Sparks sibling, then quickly defrosted the ice to gain the much needed access. In doing so, he took a quick glance at his watch, then projected his voice for all to hear his instructions in what was the best method possible to extract all the evidence they could carry. Once that was the mutual understanding between the two alliances, they began loading their vehicles with what archives the former doctor had stored away on project DAN-000, and agreed on exchanging information after making their escape from the arctic lab which the Pyrastrenean guards had finally arrived at the visible horizon.

Only the detailed developments of the project would reveal what truths these groups had been keeping a secret from the world. A secret which needed to be settled for the sake of humanity... and one which was long overdue as a lesson since the end of The Great War.

* * *

"...Right. I understand that we do have a problem, Arnold, but that's paranoia!"

Arnold Palmerton, a 59 year Real Estate Tycoon who was known throughout the land as the epitome of Sagratian success, listened intently to what his old friend had to say. Having long left his own family to keep the status quo of their country in check, Edward Sparks had a few projects to work on, knowing that conspiracy theories were gaining popularity lately; a strategic attempt on those in charge, for it threw off most from their diabolic trail. Fortunately, Edward had known how to distinguish the two, and made sure to leave his sons so that they wouldn't be targeted for his suspicions.

"Besides... I know what's been going on, Arnold. They were going to convict Rutabaski, but he managed to get out of it without resorting to underhanded tactics. Seems that contractual agreement my son Alberto made with them will teach Anthony the necessary civility he lacks." Edward said a short while after. His information being provided by Kurzgesagt, there wasn't much to worry about his sons, and neither did he feel regret in having "_abandoned_" them for the greater good. It was simply because he cared for children that this was a required sacrifice on his part.

"Well, Eddie... Joan Cristians, Ronald Fredericksburg, and Eric Krause have began their publicity for the 2007 election as early as possible, considering that the outcome of Rutabaski's trial has stirred up the community into an uproar. The presidential election is going to be rough, and I'm tired of the fact that most politicians elected are simply chosen to sedate the public from what truths they need to hear. Since President Sullivan, Eddie... we've been subduing the public, and it isn't funny anymore. Have you heard what the drug lords have been doing in Mirova? They want to regain control of Ameria, to make it great again—but such a goal doesn't match or even remotely seem possible with what methods they resort to."

They both knew how unpleasant seeing those images of hanging bodies from bridges were, and they knew that times needed change. There was a glimmer of hope though; in the 60s, when JMR was still alive, President Joe Eris had been inspired to change his policies for his re-election year. It would had led to a great change for the betterment of their society, but JMR's death had been devastating to the world, and served as a vital catalyst to vote against the president incumbent. Citizenship privacies and foreign policies be damned—they needed someone who was able to keep them away from the horrid reality of an economic crisis, along with any national travesties that may befall on them—and if that meant having to document everything people did in the country: marriage, birth control, or gender equality rights, then it didn't matter. Sagratia ended up lowering their unemployment rates to a 2% record, lasting decades and into the modern age, but it was all built on a sham.

"Eddie. I know you may find this dishonorable, but if I do this, know that my method is simply to make us all realize how oppressed we are to this wretched system."

'_I... will make Ameria Great Again..._'

* * *

The darkness was not a great place to hide from Tarres, especially since he knew both the breathing... and the aura. What did throw him off, was the otherworldly force that accompanied the individual he recognized. "NO! It can't be Karo!"


	33. Chapter 33

**Arc III**

**Chapter 9**

**DAN-000 (Part 2)**

* * *

"I'll come back tomorrow, auntie!" I heard him say with genuine emotion behind it. I didn't believe my mind when I first heard it from my little sister, but it blew my expectations when I figured that the two were going to get together for an activity that demanded those involved to be scantily dressed. No, that wouldn't be his motive behind the request; I'm honestly certain that Rutabaski would refrain from such activities... though I did not wish to leave that to chance. Knowing that my sister didn't want to bring our mother worries, she contacted me to tell father of her news, and I figured from there that I would need to chaperon them. Just in case though.

Father didn't have any objections to the news though. He said it was perfectly fine with him—which was obviously due to his leniency to Rutabaski as he had impressed him since four years back. If father had came to dote on him, why did he not disagree with Euphie's engagement? It's pretty obvious he wants the two kids to get together, rather than leave Euphie bounded to an empty relationship. Of course, it wasn't always like this. Sorren was just...

"—Broken." Taritsu answered Euphie as she asked what had happened to his vehicle.

'_Wait. He can drive? What kind of laws does Kairne regulate?_'

"But that doesn't matter, nor do we need to drive to get where we're going to." Taritsu explained as his friend—Kakarotto—revealed on a map where they were heading. Just about 35 miles from here... if we take the main road."

'_What the—! Does he seriously expect us to travel so far?_'

"Kakarotto. The elevator does still work, correct?"

They began exchanging, confirming what seemed like mundane facts, rubbing in their knowledge to impress us, but my sister didn't seem put off by it. No, she rather admired Rutabaski. I have known this about her since she was a small child... when our parents brought her home from the hospital. I didn't know much at that age, being seven years and in primary school—so I simply accepted her shy and quiet nature as something natural. Heck, I even remember seeing how she clung onto father's leather jacket when I came over to say hello. Undoubtedly shy.

Euphemia was the kind of person who wanted acceptance, to feel comfortable with the people who gave her chances and encouraged her, but she found it troublesome to do things alone. This isn't to say she hadn't any curiosity; she had a fair amount, but it was drowned by doubt and the looming fear of disappointment. She accepted our parent's advice without question, and did not regard anything with spite. Yet what they saw as obedience, I recognized as destructive modeling. Euphie wanted to reshape herself—to build false confidence in following the steps of her idols—and fortunately she had enough intelligence to start off small. I was the first role model of hers, and I found such admiration adorable.

However, it soon transformed into something detestable. Something I couldn't bear to break her heart in pointing out her mistakes.

"Good news. Seems we'll cut off 90% of traveling time. Follow me, Euphi—Euphemia. Claire." Taritsu corrected himself before revealing too much of the close relationship that the two shared. There was definitely a shared past with these two, and I'm willing to bet that it dates back before father even laid eyes on him.

* * *

Taking to spending time with his long-time friend and loving wife, Riccardo had silenced all distractions from his mind, focusing on what was most important to him. It wasn't news he wanted to hear, but then again—if it regarded their first born, then there wasn't much to expect good news about. Now he was tasked to somehow reveal to the Boruvian mother that her son was in a critical state. One which the two had feared since they heard the news from the Guardian of the planet himself.

"_The results don't lie, Sedrick. He has a taxed lymphatic system, and his bloodstream has restricted the illness there, but it's difficult as the rest of the neurons are degenerating his own physical abilities. They did a count on his white blood cells; all are abnormalities as his body is hyper active, practically to the point where his natural physical health is being short sold. Had it been a normal, average human, then the symptoms would had been more: Paleness, Heavy coughing, Excessive fatigue/Energy drained, Exponential sensitivity to pain, Can shut down vital organs, Degenerates metabolism by hijacking energy, Spreads exponentially by a user powering up, Hallucinations, and Brain deterioration. Fortunately, I believe his physiology can manage, and BALM scientists have researched this illness for as long as possible, but even they don't know what has happened to Taritsu. They're concerned of the possibility that he'd start a contagion, but the kid should have at least caused me—and those individuals he cured—to have some sort of side effect. Remember that his blood had sprayed onto me, as did it come in contact with Charlotte as well? She doesn't share my regeneration—so she should have shown something critical._"

'_Yeah. Mauricio has never been someone I needed to fear for in the physical health department._' Sedrick reminded himself, having seen his boy able to survive having his lungs filled with water from that time he fell into the lake while teaching him how to ride a bike. He was losing his own mind in having to see the boy in so much pain, which would exponentially become worse when Yanagi found out of his negligence as a father. It was then that he noticed his son being enveloped by some sort of phantasm— but only for a mere moment—and resulted in him coughing up a storm before finally laying his tired eyes on him. '_I was a terrible parent to him at first, and I'll never forgive myself for dozing off for that moment that led up to him drowning. Worst still was how afraid he was of taking a bath after that. I was sure Yanagi was going to make my life hell afterwards._'

"Hmm. Sedrick, come here."

He obediently, though frighteningly, approached his wife. Lately the twins had been under the watchful eye of their foster sister, which allowed Yanagi the freedom to act a bit more rugged with her husband as he stressed her out—or was it because she was dissatisfied with how he avoided his responsibility? That was much more likely; she had been far more willing to return to her old training regimen, and had given herself incremental goals to achieve victory after having been knocked unconscious by that silver samurai automaton.

To have expected to see her in that old gi was simply a ridiculous fantasy for Sedrick. His wife wouldn't have been able to fit in it, and she was much more... modest these days. Scratch that. She was always modest, and hated being ogled by males—especially that damn snobby bastard Hayate Jeung-Chi. That man had scarred her for life, and had brought his best friend a great deal of guilt and grief knowing how she was tainted. As luck would have it, Sedrick had to take responsibility for what happened, but he sometimes wondered what would have happened if he wasn't able to have interfered. '_Stop thinking about that. It's over now; we've managed to get this far, so worry about what's happening in the present._'

"You look gorgeous," he automatically spouted once seeing her in that new battle attire (consisting of dark pants, red shirt, and jacket) that he rarely saw her wear. Instead of receiving a much appreciated smile—a quick backhanded slap brought his reflexes in gear as to what she wanted to do with him. Now seeing him block the blow, she gave the smile.

"I see you aren't rusty... though I need you to improve so I can have an overwhelming challenge. Go ahead and put on your training clothes. I'll dedicate some warm ups in the meantime."

Wanting to tell her but also not wanting to displease his wife, Sedrick found himself in a difficult position. On one hand, he would be failing as a parent, but on the other he would break his wife's spirit if she knew the truth. Perhaps if he began with referring to the details from the past, back when they were expectant of their newborn.

"Hey, don't just stand there like an idiot, Riccardo. Even if we're married, that doesn't mean I can't scold you. Remember: I'm the royal princess of Boruvia; you're the son of the Kairne Padrone, making you the first citizen. That makes us the first family, so get back to working on your duties as I've told you!" She asserted without faltering, but soon noticed that he wasn't doing what she asked. Instead, she found him caressing her cheek, which prompted her to enrage at his stubborn behavior—which then dissipated as the sullen eyes she had never wanted to see in his had presented themselves. Her one and only weakness when it came to being a hardass.

"Yana... do you recall that promise I made you when we were young?"

"That you would not love another woman other than I? You ended up having chased that lady across the continent, bawling your heart out after—." She silenced herself, knowing that it was a very sensitive topic. The lady she referred to was one of Sedrick's close acquaintances—Cassava—and he had always retained small attraction to her, for her tenderness and loyalty. Yet it broke his heart when he wasn't able to see her one last time—nor tell her how he felt when Yanagi had been "mistaken" for having chosen to date Hayate. "I'm sorry for bringing that up, Sedrick."

"Don't be. Cassava was a sister to me, and I was more heartbroken being unable to turn away from the past. If I regret anything, then it is the fact that I wouldn't have found out you were being forced into a marriage against your will, had she not left my life. Then again... Paula does behave like a sister to our son, much like the relationship I had." He revealed, putting an end to some of Yanagi's insecurities. Honestly she had nothing to fear about adultery from the Rutabaski family; they were faithful and indubitably clear about relationships, making people they spent time with as friends or acquaintances aware that there was a distinction between their relationships and their sacred bond to their wives—as Padrone Johannes made it clear that he remained faithful to his wife. She was ashamed in having doubted him.

"That, however, wasn't what I was referring to." Sedrick started once more, having gained the strength needed to reveal such a grave secret. Now that Yanagi would not doubt him, nor would she pose any criticisms that discounted his statements as lies, he began speaking about his devoted promise to their children.

"Icarus said that his physiology was unlike any he's seen before. I'm not sure if the doctors can be trusted, Sedrick... but don't you have faith in Taritsu managing to recover from this? They had told you his system has detained everything within him, and it hasn't infected anyone either, so what's the problem here?"

"Yana, the problem is that he could easily die from something else. Think of his taxed biology akin to an individual with aids—while not the condition itself killing him, he remains vulnerable to all other things that normally couldn't dent him. Just yesterday it was his stamina and lack of sleep that made him falter. The next time it could be a fever breaking out, and I don't want to risk him leaving it up to his _Amazing Biology_ simply because there has never been something as powerful as it before. I will admit, however, that it must be part of your side of the family that has made him able to will himself a strong composition—convincing himself that nothing is wrong—and I find that admirable, but also unrealistic and heartbreaking. If we are to be responsible parents... then please, just don't let him ignore _his_ training and help him improve, Yana. I was going to train as well, but this persists as a priority."

Without blinking, Yanagi continued to stare into her husband's eyes, finding herself lost in the beautiful amber. However, whilst she did not lose all sense of reasoning, she began laughing gently, being reminded of his insensitivity and ignorance of one specific fact. He began to wonder what he had done to have wronged her, and knowing that it was never a good sign to see someone finding horrid news amusing, he tried asking if she was feeling fine.

'_Oh, Sedrick. You never have had the best mind to consider all the facts... but this is part of the reasons why I fell in love with you._' "...such foolish worries, Sedrick." She softly whispered.

"Eh? What do you mean, Yana!?"

"You haven't forgotten, have you? Our little boy... what is his profession, and why do you lack faith in his successful recovery?" Her answer brought him to realize how little he actually did believe in his son, causing him to gasp with disgust towards himself and started departing from his wife as he did not deserve to be spoken to so gently. Yet still, he found her hands holding him in place, wrapped behind his neck and her standing on her toes to lean her forehead on his. It was a moment which she had control over him; a moment that reminded him that as much as she needed him—he needed her.

"_Madonna Rutabaski._ _Signore Riccardo._ Are you alright?"

The interruption from Paula came with good timing, as both husband and wife were finding themselves teetering towards the possibility of personal intimacy— or at least a public display of affection that would have embarrassed their first-born as he had arrived, as according to Paula's report. Managing to make their way through the field clearing, they gave each other a knowing look and agreed that it was necessary to assist the boy in his development. Simply speeding around wasn't going to cut it. Not when it burned up too much of his stamina for a moderate advantage that Sedrick would also have as he fought his way against currently armored enemies.

Seeing his wife slightly fidget as she had a question to ask, but refrained as they arrived back home, Sedrick found it troublesome to keep himself from laughing at her expense as he saw her literally jump four emotions at once as they saw who their son had brought with him. Taritsu was certainly going to receive a good scolding as his mother mistook the entourage of females as his choice of love interests.

But before she was about to say anything, he figured it was best to compliment his son for his consideration.

"Nice of you to returned, son. So is she one of your friends at school? You never introduced me to her... wait," he began to note the small details his mother gave him when she encountered her grandson. Waist-length black hair tied with two red ribbons by each shoulder and angular blue eyes, a silver chain around her delicate, unblemished neck; all things considered, that girl whom he recognized immediately as the younger sister of Clarinda Chandler, reminded Sedrick of a small fact which he and Yanagi had wondered since they had laid eyes on the trinket which their son mysteriously obtained. "Yanagi. What were the laws in Kosuto like back in '97?"

"Why that specific yea—_ahhhh_. Are you certain, because I'm not in the mood for a practical joke right now." '_I thought he was to keep his word to the Aiguchi girl he had befriended.._.'

"Well. Now that my parents have met you, let's just get your things settled in a room for your stay." Taritsu distracted Euphemia, fully understanding what his father was talking about. '_At least now mom will stop asking about choosing a spouse. You know, perhaps sharing a future with Euphie would be great._' He recalled having a passing thought on the matter when he saw how his siblings had gotten along with his childhood friend. Plus, he did tell a technical lie in order to keep Euphemia away from his father, but the guilt still remained from keeping that farce.

* * *

The screen had displayed secrets which no one had seen for decades, but as some questions had been answered, others were swapped with revelations of a misconception, yet the danger laid in the tinkering of Anthony Lance Sparks.

"W-wait... so, the Pyrastrenean Government raided the place, because they wanted a clone?"

"It appears so. Leonard Coolidge found out that they had been working on developing a super soldier program from the genetic samples available, so it's more than likely that they wanted to keep up with the arms race. Back in the early 80s, this so called Super Soldier program was ended when the AN council audited Pyrastre. They found 14 cases of clones—all prototype and too graphic to describe—so it was abandoned and pushed back. Apparently where they had the samples from was never looked upon, as they filed it under _Project Evolve_, and made it seem like it was simply a matter of messing around with the available genetics we have right now. Honestly, I myself find it disgusting and nightmarish, but opting to make it seem as if they were working on a biological project to improve humanities resilience against disease was the most sensible course of action at that time. Plus... apparently it led the way for the AN council to discover leads on foolish WUSS members who tried explaining the same thing when they tried stealing samples from Jakartan residents. A win-win for both the Pyrastreneans, and us, I guess." Enlighten General Vasilis Pioneeri.

Shaking his head in rejection to the idea, Anthony had noted an entire side of ignored factual evidence. With his encyclopedia in hand and asking Vejita for permission to tap into the servers, the young teen started running an algorithm that deciphered everything given into account on the government and their history with dealing Doctor Azerbaijani, who by all accounts had been recorded in history books as a Victorian era Telegraph Engineer (Electrical Engineer) and Philosopher who avoided joining the war by fleeing to the uninhabited regions of northern Pyrastre. This taken into account, Azerbaijani was by all means too far from being a biologist—or even responsible for creating a clone.

"He must have had assistance from someone else." Anthony exclaimed, finding himself self-absorbed too much into the investigative mentality he developed in his youth. Though they wouldn't tell the boy that he was edging into such dangerous territories that would break one's mind, Vasilis knew and had seen a personal heartbreaking moment like this in his past. It happened twice actually, and whilst he knew he could not assist them fully, he wasn't going to let it happen a third time. Not while he could still prevent things. "Hah! I knew it. His motives weren't to assist the Pyrastrenean Government; they were to bring his so—!"

It was at that moment where everyone saw Vasilis act in an incredibly uncivil manner, taking the boy's electronic encyclopedia and tossing it behind him where it slammed against the wall. The man had a dark look in his eyes as everyone else noticed what he did, and without a single word, turned, took what sources they had used to research the case, and left the room.

"W-what?" Vejita couldn't comprehend what his father had done, nor what reason he had to interrupt Anthony with such rudeness. Though he did actively work against him with his opinions, those were mostly playful sparring and his way of getting him to speak more of his mind. Until now, he believed his father was in the wrong—especially with how he basically took Anthony's device and tried wrecking it—but reading the still image on the screen where it profiled Dr. Azerbaijani...

The young adult could not believe what had ticked off his father once he made the connections.

Keeping his anger in check, he handed the miraculously survived encyclopedia over to the owner, then forced out a warning to the younger male before going off to find the General. "You're just a kid. The hell would you know of these things? Keep yourself out of these things; there's no need for a punk to endanger himself..."

Now left in a wake of awkward silence, Henry smiled slightly in disappointment, but also to wordlessly tell Anthony that he wasn't in the wrong. It was a naivety which the younger Sparks despised, but he also knew—via reminder of similar words—that he had crossed a line which wasn't worth infringing. '_No. I made a vow to leave sentimentalities out of my decisions. It would merely get everyone else killed if I don't challenge these wrongdoings._'

"Henry—are you up for continuing this case? Just between you, Rutabaski, Levi, Valogna, and I?"

In plain sight, Blakes initially denied it, knowing that it would cause division between the group for going behind their backs, but he was curious as to what exactly he had in mind. Besides... they had no means to investigate as all access to the information was cut off with Vasilis taking it away.

"All _physical_ evidence," was his correction while showing Blakes the screen that displayed copies of what they previously had for research.

* * *

Reporting to his master was always something Rock looked forward to, but he mostly felt weak and of habitual instinct to do so. It loomed a question in his mind thinking about it, especially after seeing how the doctor would storm off in an outrage if crossed with his staff members. True—there was no employer on employee abuse, but Rock saw a darker side to his creator/father.

'_How long must I wait this time?_' He thought to himself hearing the distinct, yet clear clanking of tools as he associated it with deconstruction of common server droids. These were the '_everyday_' robots which could easily be fixed— be it a programming failure of mechanical malfunction.

"Rock—are you alright, brother?"

If he could have visibly show an expression of surprise, he would, but Rock was far more awry of Dr. Light to have been shocked by his 'sister' who had returned from the repair shop. This android was most likely one of the doctor's more... vulgarity based preferences. Had he not known of the anatomical difference between a male and female, then it would have not been a questionable aspect of the elderly scientist. Fortunately Dr. Light had made it clear that she wear conservative clothing—but behind closed doors was a different matter which Rock would wish to have never known about. Besides, no one would condemn the doctor for his treatment towards androids. '_Plus, I wouldn't know how to tell Gia that it's not right. She believes that it's her duty to please father and his wishes._'

Her blue parka being what she was well-known for, along with that short bob hairstyle and ice-cold appearing lips adding onto the cuteness factor, Rock indeed knew how and why people would find such an appearance favorable for a mate—had it truly been that she was a human. Fortunately that wasn't the case, though he did at times wish she was due to the alienation he felt while reflecting on the events of the previous day.

"—Sucks that Rutabaski got away, huh Rock? Though father did tell us he's the enemy, it is rather strange that the directive was to simply get his attention. You could have killed him right there and then."

"_NO!_" He violently defended, causing his sister to cringe. For some reason he found actually committing the execution of their enemy a taboo; even though since his inception the doctor had consistently stated Taritsu Rutabaski was a threat to humanity, there was still a persistent thought that kept him from crossing the line—even if it were just the thought of killing him! This, obviously, wouldn't be easily comprehended with his brethren: they'd refer to it as a weakness as Fuoco and Duzio would say, not to mention what possible comments Raggio would add. Cida obviously wouldn't care as much, seeing as she preferred observing the target of interest instead of simply following orders blindly. Out of everyone—she was the one who Rock could confide in for arduous choices, but it wouldn't do him any good since she'd be routinely examined by the end of each month for new information. Knowing that he had no other choice, he decided instead to misdirect his sister of his reasoning for objecting to that action.

"If we had resorted to that... you would have all been in danger. Rutabaski is a danger, that we can't deny, but he had reinforcements who could have picked us off. Remember—he was capable of stealing our weaponry data, and that was simply him acting casually. Did you really think I would have sacrificed you all just to complete a mission where the odds are all stacked against us?"

He raised a valid point.

Yet still, he did not believe the boy was as sinister as the doctor had told him. '_He could had scrapped us into mere parts, but instead chose to show us mercy. How could someone treat androids with consideration? He's the enemy!_' The general rule of thumb throughout the societal hierarchy was that robots and androids were classified as second class citizens at best, but typically seen as mere tools to a user. Could it be that due to a misunderstanding of communication... Rock was standing on the wrong side of the war?

The door clicked, signalling that it was now time to enter the personal office of Dr. Light. Though he showed no hesitation, Rock was clearly fearing for his life as he took a while to actually head towards the entrance. Knowing that he could not show his fear to any of his siblings, he swallowed what common sense he had and walked inside. There, he noticed how the room was spotless and well-organized. Too organized—which served as an indicator that he was inside the eye of Xavier's storm. There was once a time where he had seen a bolt by the corner of the room, which revealed what the good doctor would do to vent his frustrations, so naturally that knowledge served as nightmare fuel. No way would he intentionally displease his creator when he had all the tools needed to decommission him.

"You've returned safe and without a scratch I presume? Good. Come now, we'll be working on the second half of your mission, Rock."

"Doctor Light... but wasn't my mission to exterminate Rutabaski? I failed you and he managed to best us; my failure as a leader has cost you a victory." The safe reply was simply to nudge the doctor to reveal some of his motives, but it appeared that he instead received an incredibly ominous warning.

"I knew about that. That is why I made certain to send your siblings to assist from afar. It appears that they have done well as decoys—though the fact that they remain function was a surprising bonus. I thought for sure that Rutabaski would have destroyed them without mercy." He continued rambling for a while longer, leaving Rock in shock of such a disregard for his creations. They were perhaps easy to repair—seeing as they weren't as complex as him with their second-rate personality chips, but at the very least the doctor should have considered showing restraint for his sake. "Well then. We haven't much time, boy; let's extract the data you've collected with that encounter, shall we... Rock, why the sour expression?"

"Doctor... I'm not seeing you eye to eye on the truth with Rutabaski's true nature. He doesn't seem to yield malice, and there is the fact that both he and your old colleague—Doctor Weissman Wyle—have collaborated on a policing android. This all doesn't add up to what you've told me."

It didn't take a second for Xavier to respond. In fact, the reply seemed as if he had rehearsed it for a while from what Rock could analyze. "Weissman and Rutabaski don't share the same ideals, my child. He is, and has been, my friend since we've met. Though you could argue I ruined his career, it was a rivalry that divided us from plotting to save the world, so he took the blame to gain Taritsu Rutabaski's trust. Trust me, son... he is simply an actor on the playing field—and you will see that it is the truth once Weissman unleashes his contingencies against that monstrous threat." '_Knowing how uncooperative Weissman is,_ _I'll simply make it seem that is what has been happening._'

* * *

To have found themselves resorting to begging the alien visitor for assistance was simply a betrayal of their own philosophy. No one of the World Utopia Supremacy Society was to depend on what their allies had—and especially not after learning that they were having trouble managing to do anything with the DNA samples. This, along with their hatred to remain in constant danger, fostered the generally accepted feeling which had been associated with the Jakartan faction.

"Bad news: they were dismantled the other day. Eye witness account agrees that it was Pioneeri and Rutabaski that was responsible."

Revenge fueled the organization, and until they had a success, they would not stop. So what if they failed at creating the ultimate soldier army? Or recruited professional fighters that had constantly improved their physiology on a day to day basis? What WUSS needed to do these days was to achieve a milestone victory. Perhaps not in technological advances, but definitely in some manner that expressed the underlying tension of fear.

"Hmm? This—coming from the ones who were deadly certain to have achieved victory?" began one of the senior project managers. The oversight of the operation was not to defend their post, but to instill a belief. An idea not dealt with would thrive throughout the minds of the population's youth, and gain them a victory in the long run. To hell with what had happened; they'd just delude themselves in a state of false security.

"Send this urgent message to headquarters. They haven't found much success with these fights against the Kairnese elite, but that is because they rely too heavily on technology such as mech suits and drones. What we need to do... is take things to the next level." Stated the mysterious man. His ties with an ally had brought him valuable information that would cause a schism between the citizens, thus allowing them to take dominance over the lives of those willing to be influenced by WUSS. "For now, the super serum we have should suffice for the plan, but we'd require... misleading everyone into seeing that the Kairnese aren't on their side. A person who fears taking the risk needed for societal progress—that is what allows us to illustrate the Rutabaskis as an enemy."

"I know how to help, sir. I'll send word immediately." Stated the special operative. It wouldn't take far too long. What the organization was looking for was a way to divide the nation into two factions, and take over into making the leading opposition collapse under the weight of their fears. With an individual capable of withstanding the trauma associated with the transformation effects of the serum, they'd be able to take down Taritsu Rutabaski—or at least make him seem like an upper-class twit. Sending test failures would certainly lower the quota needed to stress the social dynamics of Kairne, but what the man did not know, was that the chemical makeup had been requiring a cleansing to function in general. The recruit known as Max had actually found the solution, but it would not be realized. A real tragedy, but the results spoke otherwise to them.

It helped that they'd be assisted in all this thanks to the Tsufuru-jins.

* * *

Feeling restless for the night, Euphemia left her designated room to relax in the scenery of a clear sky that had all but the moon. The new moon phase of the month—as it was called—was the particular night she enjoyed the most. Whether it was simply nostalgia, or her adoration of the stars which symbolically reminded her of Taritsu, she didn't know.

What she had figured was that no one would had been awake at this time as she had determined the subtle whispering comments that she'd normally hear had been absent for the night. Actually, since having arrived at Taritsu's modest home, she had not been bothered by the secretive comments that people would try to hide; his family was honest to the core, making her feel welcomed—like part of the family.

"The sky truly looks prettiest when the artificial lights stop shining." She said to no one in particular. It was a comment which she knew the meaning of, and one that her childhood friend had taught her when he spoke of searching for the genuine things in life. To him, if it was the truth, even an unwanted truth, then he would be satisfied to live knowing that he could change. Though she didn't know what he meant by change, she had ridiculed him for having to waste his time confirming the nonsense that he would inevitably detest afterwards. "_Yet... if I choose to change myself before knowing the truth, then it is no different from joining everyone else and keeping them from growing as a person._"

"Who said that?"

She jumped having heard the voice of her friend, then laid eyes on the recently finished jogging boy as he had been active during the night. Seeing him awake confused her, but Euphemia had been led to believe that he had insomnia that night as well. "Kyousuke, are you alright?"

"I just have a Dymaxion sleep cycle; that's why I'm awake right now." He lied of the pain while running past his stamina limit. For reasons he had yet to know, his speed was diminishing, and there was an issue with his durability at times.

They both remained silent after that, not finding each other as imperative and perhaps judging their inability to keep up the conversation, but relishing the moment they had alone. Euphemia never had to say it, for she knew that her childhood friend did have compassion and understanding of her issues, but she wanted to know. She wanted to know if there was a small possibility where she was expendable—theoretically.

"Kyousuke—Would you ever abandon me... for your sake?"

With nothing more but silence, she could tell that his expression had changed into one of melancholic seriousness. She wanted him to say something, even one of those muttered rude comments, but he didn't.

Eventually, she heard him speak with a gentle tone that had an unrivaled sense of soothing. "If I had to, then I wouldn't be your friend. I'd rather spend another twenty years where people mistreat me, than to take the choice of forsaking you. Euphie... I would always be there for you."

Eyes wavering with tears of happiness, she acted on impulse and embraced the boy she had loved since their first meeting. The sudden action served as a frightening reminder of how he could not tell the female intention, nor comprehend what they wanted to do with him. Though it was perplexing and an enigma—he found her close proximity as an indicator that he was free to act as he understood his parent's intimacy.

With no issues whatsoever to what he enacted upon, the two ended their prolonged mutual experience and gazed at one another in gratitude.

Their decision made without speaking any additional words, they finally regarded the bond shared between them as an unbreakable vow.

"_I love you, Taritsu Rutabaski._"


	34. Chapter 34

**Arc III**

**Chapter 10**

**Temperance and Doubts**

* * *

Normally the mornings for Nora weren't disruptive for her sleep schedule, but as she had known and gotten used to the habit of waking early for work, she answered her door as requested by the frequent rapping of the mahogany wood.

'_Did I pay my housing fees? I could have sworn I already have... Then again, it could be de Folli._' Nora began contemplating as she opened the door after taking note that the time was 15 past 6, then had herself facing the two friends of her school colleague. Since she was 173 centimeters, it wasn't that hard to assume authority with anyone that wanted to speak with her, nor was it difficult to get along with the tenants of the building complex either. Granter, she was an exotic beauty in appearance—but she did wonder where in the world that trait came from? Taritsu was much the same with his blue hair as she found out, but the answer was obviously due to that tail and mother's phenotype—if she ignored the faded appearance of his grandfather's hair.

"Ah, good morning Sparks. Blakes. What brings you two here so early?"

"Well, not to be rude, but please change into something more decent. I don't like having to burn the image of your legs into my memory, nor do I believe that you'd forget to do something as crucial as that."

Anthony's response granted them a 'humph!' and a rapid slam at the door as she had been embarrassed for having been seen in her elegant, soft jersey and trousers that she enjoyed as sleepwear. Whether it be habit or the conditioning she had when Taritsu would normally inform her he was arriving early in the morning, Nora could not forgive herself for having answered the door with such see-through, seductive clothing.

Again, now in the necessary clothes, she asked what they wanted.

"The other day, Pioneeri had been assisting with an investigation. We were doing fine, but he sort of thought better of involving us in it. Most likely it has to do with his son, Vejita, for having made the decision—but the intentions we had for the case were justified! Since Rutabaski recommended we look into this case to help with a new predicament of his, we couldn't leave things be." Anthony stated, keeping the fact that the way he made Vasilis react was just the initial step to getting him to expose his secrecy behind that perpetual mask. One giant step.

"Wait—Taritsu's having you two work on a case? I thought his main concern was working on creating genetic species to solve environmental issues right now?"

"Eh, it's a multi-tasking thing. I'm more than certain he sees the project as just a hobby, whereas what we're doing is setting up the tools and resources for his main concern."

Henry nodded, knowing that what Anthony stated was more or less the exact words Taritsu told him over the phone call. With this now said, Nora reconsidered her initial position, but knew that she had responsibilities to attend to herself.

"You could contact de Folli and tell him to meet with Baddack instead of waiting for you today. Just make sure to ask Rutabaski to meet up with him as well." Anthony answered her thoughts with sagacious wisdom. It was eerie for Nora to have someone respond so specifically to a question she was yet to ask, that it made her feel uncomfortable with the 13 year old boy. The possibility of him having read her mind raked her mind, but the inner skepticism she retained grounded her from feeling alienated with the bizarre adventures that constantly presented themselves since she had met Taritsu.

"How did you—?"

"As a woman of 16, you're pretty accomplished and regularly expected to take initiative on things. You're a Bio-Engineer, working on receiving your masters degree by this spring as indicative of the calendar by the wall and the bags under your eyes. Having met Rutabaski, you were rather enthralled by his eccentricity, and appreciated his help through many aspects in your life. It seems more than likely that you aren't on good terms with your family, considering the fact that you work with Baddack Valogna rather than receive your income as a dependent; working at such an infrastructural industry isn't very plausible for one of your age—unless you have connections with family or friends. Thus, it's not much of a stretch to say that Rutabaski has assisted you, and you wish to return the favor by teaching de Folli what he needs to know in order to make Rutabaski successful with his ecology project."

That said, Nora stood for a delay of four seconds having been blown away by Anthony's analysis. All that from a simple observation of her living conditions. Hopefully he didn't pick up on the small detail where she had almost harmed the boy while biking to school. Such an embarrassing fact that she wished to repress—especially since she hadn't expected such an encounter with the boy who was the topic of the rumors she had been hearing.

"Fine," she stated as she had accepted the request. "However, don't waste my time with unrealistic conspiracies. I'll look into your work and assist where I can, but there's those calls I need to make first."

* * *

After receiving notice from his receptionist and top Bio-Medical associate, Baddack quietly walked out of his house with the intent of picking up the boy himself. Since he had found out from his daughter that the boy had invited Euphemia over, he decided that perhaps he should visit in person—to see if the girl was safe and sound, of course. Having seen his youngest child sleeping with her head on her arms and all the mechanical drawings that she had been reading, he couldn't resist chuckling at the similarity and devotion that she had to her friend. It was painfully obvious that Charlotte was indeed interested in Taritsu, but he did wonder how she might react if she were told that he didn't reciprocate.

'_Not possible. He wouldn't leave things without reason, and especially with how I expected him doing something to her while they were rooming together. I must be really insecure if I had to ask Vejita if they were engaging in such relationships; that might explained how he responded so angrily with me. Had it not been for Jack's visit, I wouldn't have connected the dots and found out Euphemia was also there... and that the two were rather distant in that department. Damn my parental concern! Why am I so frustrated with these anxious and vulnerable thoughts, when my father didn't show much concern for his only son!?_'

He paused, finding the comparison between himself and his father disgusting. How could he compare to himself with such an apathetic bastard who abused his own wife and bruised his son? '_That shall not happen. Not with my children, and especially not with Taritsu. Or else__—_' The sight before him was as horrifying as seeing a python eating a capribara—or at the very least wondering if the small palpitation one feels isn't a sign of heart disease. Could he have prevented seeing what was before him, he would, but it wouldn't have done him any good knowing that it would and did happen—either in this world or another.

"What. The. Hell?"

"Huh? Oh, hey Uncle Baddack," Taritsu responded after noticing the presence of the older man. He wasn't exactly sleeping with Euphemia, but simply resting his eyes as he couldn't really do anything else with her resting form preventing him from moving. Then again, he did wonder how exactly they ended up staying outside—since the last he remembered was sharing an intimate conversation and then...

"Oh, hello Mr. Valogna. Here to congratulate the new Mr. and Mrs.?" Teased the familiar voice of Euphemia's elder sister. That phrase had caused Baddack to fume with all the associated imagery that one would regard a couple with—which was further tempered with the added trend of adolescent sex among the age group of the two children before him. "You know, I happened to take a photo of what they did the other night. I thought it was pretty romantic—though adorable seems to fit better in this context. Father said he approves of the both of them, you know."

'_So after the boy, Jack is next. What an irresponsible man to let the girls visit without setting ground rules. DOES HE WANT THEM TO EXPLORE EACH OTHER?_' He literally had trouble battling the urge to bare his claws and stab the boy for whatever indecencies he yielded. He wanted to teach him a grave lesson, to beat into his pathetic idealistic mind that it wasn't all fun and games messing around with a relationship, but knew that he couldn't blare any obscenities and slanders towards him while around others. However, he was certain that Jack didn't teach them the native tongue of Kairne, so he took that chance. "Tsk. _Oi, Mauricio. Voglio parlare con te di questo ... attrazione che avete. Tu la ami?_"

"Huh?"

The question was simple, but rather unsettling coming from Baddack. He was more than certain that his uncle didn't actually care much about his problems or life decisions unless they were a mistake, and he was more than certain that he genuinely cared about Euphemia. To what was Baddack's intentions in clashing against his choice? '_Questioning if I love her is like asking me if I'm merely using her._' He was more than certain that what his uncle was referring to was the attachment between the two; the applicable theory of emotional crutches developed between people was what Baddack had been concerned of, and wanted to ensure that he wasn't deluding himself that the girl would solve all his problems. That was highly unlikely considering how his views had changed years ago. If he had been asked that question before when he had first met Euphemia and made his promise, perhaps he would have been deluded. Except, while reflecting on his personal history from what information didn't pertain to him directly, he figured something else having affected him back in 1995. A rather cool person who had this eccentric view of people and the beauty of the natural world, but who was it? He couldn't remember their face nor name.

"O-otousan?"

In her drowsy stated of awakening, Euphemia had confused Baddack for her father thanks to the similarities in looks, shocking both males at the sudden turn of events. However, as much as Taritsu was surprised at the way his childhood friend had said that, he quickly disregarded it once Clarinda explained how people have made the same mistake of confusing Baddack Valogna with Jack Chandler. He was satisfied and appeased with the concise answer, but remained curious as to why his uncle was red in the face for. '_Wait. Was he projecting Charlotte's relationship with me when he saw us? Brilliant uncle; absolutely brilliant—but inefficient—to have relayed the message by this manner._'

"I must be going. Take your time attending to what you need to do, but remember to come to the facility right after. De Folli is prepared to start on the project now—having researched and evaluated any and all possible members who'd assist with your work."

"Gotcha."

* * *

To have spent this long keeping the charade was tiresome, but psychologically thrilling at the same time for Adrian. Normally, he would need to report back to Johnstonii of his findings, but the man had adapted his approach to have both the Eudoran and his trusted field agent—Artemis—discuss things via messaging. The simple method was ingenious for it would justify Adrian's social incentives and give a lot a background support in case someone had suspicions of what Adrian was doing. Yet what Adrian failed to account in all this was the simple fact that Rutabaski was naive. Too naive.

'_I'm not sure if he's even aware of what I'm doing. I'm frightened of the very idea he thinks I'm trying to set him up, to back stab him while he's not looking. Why are you placing so much faith to someone you don't even know?_'

Yes. Adrian had learned early on that there really wasn't enough people to trust in this world; there was only the individual and their closest regarded familiars to be concerned about. There was no room for others in that ideal state of mind, but so far, the clashing perfusing attitude Rutabaski had kept disrupting Adrian's morality. Whether or not he would forgive a traitor didn't pass through Adrian's mind—he just assumed that the boy was likely to realize what sort of situation he was in and do something about it. Except, on the first day where he had left Sagratia and later took a good look at his health records to assist Nora Levy stabilize his exhausted condition with epinephrine, well—let's just say that what data he could capture for Johnstonii made Adrian gradually wonder if he should send them such crucial health reports.

'_On one hand, I wouldn't be as frequently audited, but on the other I would be dooming us both._' Us? Did he really consider Rutabaski as a partner? Well, it was decided prior to having proposed the crazy setup that he would gain the boy's trust, but did Rutabaski know that they were on the same side?

"I see you have brought in paperwork. Guess it was a rather wise decision that Sedrick's son entrusted you." Baddack stated as he had returned from his visit. In all honestly, Adrian had felt the greatest threat was this man; from what the computer could analyze, he had his entire skeleton enveloped in some high-density metal, along with a rather strange bone placement by his arms that seemed to slip through a sleeve between the carpal bones. By the very nature of that anatomy, it was highly plausible that he could most likely disembowel someone if there ever was a need to do so. That said, he decided not to send the sensitive information over to Johnstonii. Not until it was confirmed that Rutabaski would be prepared.

'_Yeah. A delay on information wouldn't be so bad; I just have to figure out something to send to the Tsufuru-jins in the meantime._' "I figured that he'd like to check my nominations first. Since he's leading this project, I decided instead to find someone who'd help out on determining what issues were currently relevant, and where it'd be most beneficial to start off first."

"You really didn't need to bother with something like that. The International Science Foundation has its resources, so outsourcing to a third party and spending time on sifting through these profiles isn't worth your time. It's just a waste of your time, and the time needed for keeping the work lean."

"Lean?"

"That's a core concept that we engage in here on the eastern hemisphere. It's been said multiple times that we're too preoccupied with our leisure time and hobbies to actually do work, and that's been what the capitalists have said over the last several decades. The stereotype of your typical Kairnese man is that he's always late and concerned with the issues pertaining to the _famiglia_. In fact, they also believe that we're rather ignorant of what's happening around the world, seeing as the common man lives by the _Dolce Vita_ philosophy. Sure, to the foreign westerner we perhaps seem like we don't have problems of our own, but that's due part to our grand participation to the community and sense of ever uplifting dignity. A man assists someone by clearing their field one day, the next time they meet, that same man who assisted may need shelter and nourishment. But that's not relevant to what I am explaining to you here; the reason we succeed by being lean stems from the reduction of unnecessary work. To the 99% of the population in Sagratia, Success is prominent to a man making a living with relatively no work involved. That merely encourages a cloud of ignorance to envelop them and take over their rational thinking minds, allowing those who have schemed to manipulate them as a whole, which is dangerous."

Adrian listened intently as he had found Baddack's explanation incredible. Not only was he learning something that assured him to take it easy, but that most obstacles that one perceive with the Sagratian philosophy of planning things out ahead for the future was really just setting one up for failure. '_Then it takes laziness for guaranteed success? But that's a paradox!_'

"Ah, here comes Taritsu right now. He's been a prime example of lean for most of his life. Ask him if you have any further questions."

In what was a simple uniform known as a gakuran and its associated hat with the button that his grandparents had given him, Taritsu had in his hand a small device that had all the information that he needed. Of course, the reason he had been late was due to his family interacting with Euphemia, and much to his distress the fact that Aliya had continued calling her older sister. It wasn't that much of an issue, but his sister was raising their mother's expectations—which would more than likely come crashing down and leave him to deal with whatever problems popped up from there on.

But other than that, everything was fine. He just needed to figure out how to break the news to Charlotte, that way she wouldn't seem as if she were just cast off to the wind.

"Hey, I've got an idea for the first specimen." He said aloud, feeling it was a rather ingenious and practical subject to create. It would simply require the genetic code from a _Rhinoceros unicornis_, and maybe whatever sample was left of the _Brontotheriidae_. "What do you think, of a creature capable of handling wild fires and tilling soil of the barren land of Falyen?"

"Aren't you simply proposing a glorified rhinoceros? How innovative is that?" Adrian replied once quickly catching on to the false characteristics associated with the existing species.

"Yeah, I may be speaking about a rhino here, but the ones in Falyen are being poached for their horns—miserable fact really. However, I'm not planning on making an entire species. Only one exotic specimen should be enough to address this particular problem; an added bonus of the fact that it can't be poached would deter any hunters away as well."

"Well alright. But what do we need to get this thing created. I'm certain the world can't wait 16 months for a rhino to gestate, so I'm just gonna go out on a limb here and take your word for it. You are the expert."

"I have the genetic code archived in this here." He displayed his electronic encyclopedia. "However, my grandfather said that there's no possible manner I can get access to a source of _Brontotheriidae_ DNA. Sucks, but I do think we can compensate."

Being told all this, Adrian felt as if he were merely a hindrance to his work. Not knowing whether he was even needed in the first place he asked if it were possible if he could ask him to leave him out of the project. To that, he received and immediate and confident reply. "I feel rather terrible to tell you this, but I really have no idea if a specimen would survive what modifications I'd give it. To be honest, genetically engineering a creature isn't really something I've done before; I just known what genes complement a creature—and also yield the knowledge needed for the process of the technology, but all of the neuronal aspects associated might cut the life expectancy shorter than I expect it to be."

'_I can't afford to let him go. As Vejita said, he doesn't trust someone as shady as him. Perhaps it's just him being too high standard, but if what he said is true, then I must do everything I can to have him feel welcomed._'

That explanation that he gave the neurologist seemed to have worked, for the reward the Rutabaski Primogeniture had in response was the small smile and a relieved sigh that indicated letting down his skepticism. It wouldn't take much time for them to come up with the necessary code for the first of their specimens. It would just require several meetings and consultations like these, and then perhaps allow Taritsu a window of opportunity to extract as much information from his Sagratian-born assistant.

* * *

Just three hours into the modification of the code and soon enough the two found themselves satisfied with the basis of a new species. Being as it was done rather quickly, Adrian wondered if the boy simply half-assed the entire thing, or if it were going to result in a failure as the program was running a quick simulation on the provided genetic code.

"Err, Rutabaski."

"Hmm?"

"How exactly do you plan on making it capable of deterring poachers?"

"Meh. Rock-like hide skin."

'_WHAT. IS HE SERIOUS?_' He couldn't believe that the boy would give out a childish answer like that. HE WAS A SCIENTIST—and yet he was insistent on his choice. "Could you explain, please?"

"Well... it's a small modification I made to the genes. You see, the natural Rhinoceros does not yield any sweat glands at all, so I added that to make a distinction between the regular species and our modified rhino. I programmed the code to have a necessary secretion of a special fluid added to it—allowing our subject to benefit from MR fluid that would be present in the oil secreted. That make any sense?"

"...I prefer your initial explanation..."

The two seemed to have found their subtle conversations indicative of scaling progress, as they seemed at ease within the other's proximity, though with different reasons entirely. While it was rather nice to know, when Taritsu received an expectant call from Henry and the others, Adrian noticed how the bronze haired kid with a hair style consisting of long spiky locks that extruded in different directions. '_Calm down. It's just shonen hair, I guess. That is a boy, right?_' He had to remind himself that the kid who was referred to as Kakarotto the other day was the son of Baddack Valogna, meaning that if Adrian did something ambiguous while being under the kid's watchful eye, then he'd instantly be reported and lose out on the opportunity to screw Johnstonii over.

Well, there was also the fact that the boy seemed a bit too androgynous—almost as if it were a crossdressing female. '_That might explain the vibe of jealousy I'm feeling here._'

"You have a lead in Boruvia? I'll be there soon." Taritsu answered, then turned to Adrian and informed that he was leaving him in charge of the simulation program, along with instructions necessary for him to store all the results once it was over. Making a beeline for the exit, he took notice of _Kakarotto_ as _he_ had the newly improved schematics for the plane. From a distance, Adrian could just make out what they were talking about, but had fortunately (perhaps unfortunately) heard that they were going to be in another area applying the modifications for the plane as necessary.

This left the neurologist alone.

With no one supervising him.

Nor any security cameras recording.

'_I better not... but what harm could the results be if I give it to Johnstonii? It isn't like I had taken anything they wouldn't already know as a species comprised entirely of scientific minds._' In the end, after evaluating the consequences, Adrian decided to copy what was available and stored it in the biosuit's computer for later. As that was done and ready, he turned about and heard a small ringtone from the computer, signalling that it had finished, and did what was necessary as he was asked to do. Only until after did he turn and see the teen prodigy standing there tapping his foot wearing another uniform. This time most likely casual clothing as he wore googles and navy blue sleeveless cagoule jacket with shorts, all over runners tights and a pale blue t-shirt. Then, almost out of a complete nightmare, he saw him raise his right hand upwards and his left hand across his chest they initially rested by his waist as it was resembling of the superhero pose. Finally, he brought them both over to point towards his left, signalling that they leave.

"Come on, I'm inviting you to hang out with us."

* * *

Part of the reason why Euphemia was happy today was due to the fact that she not only had been able to profess her feelings the other night, but that it was also about three days until her birthday. Now, she didn't expect Taritsu to have given her anything as a present, for she already had been granted a certain happiness which she had been denied of for years. It made her sister rather glad to see her expression rather giddy and optimistic, but it also raised a bit of questions from the way she answered the youngest of Taritsu's siblings.

"Mind if I ask what are you studying to become, Onee-chan?" Aliya asked with the intention of calculating the girl's benefit to her elder brother. She didn't want him to be a good for nothing sort of person, so she decided on checking if the friend he made was a positive influence.

"A researcher," she said without any hesistations. It was an occupation that would assist her childhood friend without sticking to one field, and also one where she was most confident in. There was also the choice in being an essayist, but she did not see it as enticing as the hobby she had of researching information. Mind-boggling to those who didn't understand her fixation, but highly respective people like Clarinda and her mother knew that Euphemia was simply expanding her horizons—or so that was what they had thought initially.

'_She's really... obsessed with him..._' Clarinda thought to herself as she noticed her sister treat the siblings as family. It was in a sort of manner where it would horrify those who were able to tell of the psychological paradigm behind an individual's motives, and Clarinda was one of those few who were able to see it as she had been immersed in case studies for a while now.

"Excuse me, miss Clarinda?"

Curious as to what the girl had to say, Clarinda briefly wondered if it was urgent, but cast the thought having spent a wonderful time herself with the family Rutabaski. Well, she did admire Yanagi Rutabaski for her integrity and down to earth approach that commanded respect where needed, but that was irrelevant to what was her current concern!

'_Considering her past, the signs are there._' She remembered how when Soren and Euphemia first met, they had been on good terms. Clarinda was unavailable to her sister for her schooling, and she also had to tell her that she shouldn't become a clone of another's personality. A doll was what she seemed to aspire at that time, but as all porcelain dolls were when broken, they appeared rather ominous. '_Then Soren was the second she confided in, taking his kindness as a way of of expressing his wanting to be a friend—but that seemed to shatter one day during the summer._'

"Well...?"

"Huh, I'm sorry, Paula. I was preoccupied with something else on my mind."

"No, it's alright. What I was going to ask is if you had already contacted your parents. Afterall, it is New Year's Eve."

"How nice of you to remind me, but I made sure to do that this morning. Actually, I believe my mother would like to speak to my sister right—now."

She took a glance at the door as Taritsu walked by holding what seemed to be a stuffed animal. Childish, but rather effective and safe if it were what she thought it was. Or perhaps he had gotten the gift and merely wanted his mother to opiniate whether it was good enough or if he needed to try harder for a present. It brought the elder sister a small fit of giggles seeing how awkward he was behaving; obvious the sort of boy that girls could easily fall in love with, but if she thought this way and saw him in such a light, then how did her sister see him?

"Err, Euphemia? Could I ask you for something? It'll just be a moment's time."

With no interjection to the request, Paula had successfully assisted her foster brother from being seen, though felt a bit disturbed by the special manner of which he seemed to behave for this particular girl. She wouldn't admit it, but due to the fact she saw herself below his level, she did not recognize the feelings of affection that she held as a girl of 14 years.

"I was wondering whether a person's heart racing and higher level of nervousness was directly related to being attracted to someone. You probably know better than I, but my reason stands that I cannot fall in love as it would hinder my abilities as an assistant to Madonna Rutabaski." '_Maybe then I'd be able to tell what's happening to Charlotte._'

'_No. She's messing with fire talking to Euphie like that!_'

Wielding a sly smile and seeing that Paula was really trying to keep herself in line, Euphemia decided to help her regardless of what instinctual need to preserve the status of her relationship told her. Well, that was according to Clarinda's studies. "Let's talk somewhere in private shall we." Said the younger girl as she considered the children around them. Clarinda was just about to protest to her sister's suggestion, but thought it was better not to change her behavior and see how they'd interact on their own. Listening into their conversation from the window of the room above, she had a great detail of what the two were speaking about, and also the necessary information to confirm is something was really wrong with her sister.

"_I see. So this friend of yours is the one with the symptoms. I understand why you initially used yourself in the context, but why didn't you start off with it in the beginning?_"

"_It's because... my friend acts in such manner... because Taritsu Rutabaski is involved... She's lovesick for him._"

She backed up hearing that. Clarinda did not take into the list of possibilities that something like that would have been the case; but if it were true, then how would her sister take the news?

"_Lovesick? As in crazy for his protection, or crazy for his acceptance?_"

"_They intertwine—but my fear isn't that she's simply lovesick. My friend—she's compelled to believe that she must behave in this manner—and it frightens me to know that she cannot tell that what she is doing is out of her control. No one else can see it... not even her father. Even worse still, is the fact that they have known one another since childhood._"

Feeling a hand suddenly rest on her shoulder, Clarinda jumped in place due to having been immersed to the tale. She wanted to tell the person to buzz off, but reminded herself that if she showed anger to the kind hospitality of the family members, then the relationship between them would shatter.

Unfortunately fate was against the elder Chandler daughter. If not the family members that she expected, it was instead the very concerned Taritsu Rutabaski who came up to check on her. She honestly did not want to see him her, but the concerned look he was expressing was enough to knock her out from its charm. '_No wonder Euphie fell for him..._'

"Hey, dinner's ready." He simply said, before averting his eyes after a subtle twitch of his ears that Clarinda almost didn't catch. It was going to be a rough future, with the way things were unraveling, but if there was anything she knew from having interacted with them—then it is the fact that Rutabaski could do the impossible if he put his mind to it.

* * *

"_Lap-dog. Status Report!_"

Sighing, the Eudoran fiddled with the computer to share the file with his overlord. It wasn't much, and Adrian didn't expect any praise at all—just that the damn egoistical bastard stop shouting obscenities and let him rest. He had a rough day keeping up with Rutabaski, and it didn't help that he had been hard to keep up with due to his implausible speeds.

"_You—._" He paused, causing Adrian to cringe as he was led to believe that there was a scolding awaiting. "_How in the world did you get something like this?_"

"It was created by _him_. I just happened to copy the data while he wasn't looking." Honestly it wasn't anything important, so Adrian was left wondering why he was so damn worked up.

"_Do you know how many months you've save us with this? Our progress in deciphering the brat's genetic code had just reached eight percent, but with this... yes, with this we should be able to reach twenty percent by autumn. Keep up the work, and I'll allow your brother his freedom soon._" Exclaimed Johnstonii as he cut off the transmission. This allowed Adrian to sigh in relief and drop on his bed—beat up and hungry, but more deprived of sleep than anything else.

'_So they didn't have the skills despite being scientists. Woopdeedoo._' He dug his head into the pillow before letting out a groan of frustration. '_I let down Rutabaski, when I was just trying to keep him from losing. I'm a joke._'

However, Adrian did happen to catch onto an important fact earlier that day. While traveling with the two friends in that plane, they had been discussing about something to do with the DAN-000 Project. To Adrian's perspective, it must have been truly vital if Rutabaski was so passionate about getting everything done thoroughly; heck, it must have been even more important than their own project!

'_A doctor from the 20th century, huh? Azerbaijani... Azerbaijani... ZELENYY L. AZERBAIJANI!_'

He knew who that man was; he was rumored to have been a pioneer in brain uploading technology, but all evidence of his existence had vanished after the sixties, and no one had seen or heard of him since. However, according to what Rutabaski and his friends had been talking about, the alleged lab of the doctor existed in the Arctic, an area where the Pyrastreneans had jurisdiction over. It was highly likely they knew about the doctor, and if what the Kairnese adolescent said was true, then it had been raided by the government after his death.

'_The Tsufuru-jins had a subject that they referred to as the Pyrastrenean Clone. It isn't highly implausible that this subject is the DAN-000 Project._' He was beginning to wonder if he had to break his own rules and reveal to the boy that he was working for the aliens and lead him to the answer. The most obvious result would be his imprisonment, if not death by one of their field agents. '_But they were more prevalent and assured that DAN-000 isn't a clone. It doesn't add up with the rumors either, since the doctor was said to pioneer a field in neurology. They also spoke of a theory too. Luk Azerbaijani, the doctor's son, being revived in a robotic body. That must be the true entity they're looking for!_'

It was all pretty exciting for Adrian. To think that he simply doubted them of being able to figure things out that wouldn't aid against the _Tsufuru-jins_. Oh how he had made that mistake, but now he was able to repent for it by adding his knowledge. Were conditions optimal, the answer was clearly:

"Onagawa."


	35. Chapter 35

**Arc III**

**Chapter 11**

**Bane of my existence**

* * *

The area that was well known to this particular family had been filled with various gadgets and trinkets that archived victories of each Clandestine that undertook the mantle. Since it had been common practice for their successor to learn from their predecessor and their particular set of skills, along with the critical mind, each young heir had been conditioned to find these rare moments with their elder family member as something to look forward to.

To Vasilis Bruce Pioneeri... it was not.

"Fratello... I'm scared."

The elder brother of Vasilis was far more sensitive than he would appear when first meeting him. Since he had and was the general commander of the Kairne Armies, he had developed a shell based on intimidation and mysticism. The manner in which he was revered with such grandeur and wariness made a lot of men shudder when the naked gaze of the 28 year old's stare drilled into them. However, that was merely a small defensive mechanism he used to keep people from scamming his family and the nation. Thomas V. Pioneeri was a subtly sensitive soul, and one whom Vasilis had come to know as his only family left in the world.

"Hmm? Then that's good, Bruce. Fear, when recognized, serves as a goal when you strive to overcome its obstacles." Said the 28 year old while in the signature uniform that struck fear into the hearts of evildoers; even the common civilian was vulnerable after noticing the glowing blood-red eyes look their way. The only exception to this was Vasilis, who associated his brother's frightening appearance as that of a guardian angel looking after him from the shadows. To him—it was reassuring.

"But I don't want you to do this. What about Veji—?"

"Bruce. I know how you feel, and I know that you wish that I don't risk my life as father and mother have been absent in yours." Said Thomas as he had with him the small infant with a fuzzy complexion of black hair that made him look like a cub. Either that or similar to Vasilis' appearance, making them seem directly related unless actually knowing that the child was born between him and a gypsy woman.

"Then... must you do this? Must you fight against them when it's clear that Pyrastre and Sagratia aren't going to continue their cold war much longer?"

"It wouldn't make a difference to allow what they do when no one watches, Bruce. The mantle of Clandestine is built on the Creed of assassins—meaning that we work in the dark to serve the light. If I refrain from this, then there would be no resolution. Not this year, nor 73, 74, and certainly not seventeen years after that."

He wanted to keep him from going, but his elder brother was certain and devoted to having things done correctly. Then, having a thought that would solve the issue, he informed his little brother of a great way to keep hia mind off of things.

"Say. Why don't you practice learning how to be a great uncle? If you learn and work at keeping Vejita from a ruined childhood, then I would most appreciate it. For now, just promise me you'll never try to abandon your nephew, just as I have not abandoned you."

"You're going off to that mission, Victor?" Began Alfredo—Thomas' friend and most trusted employee. The man had known the family since Thomas was twelve, so it was natural that he remained employed.

"Yeah, Alfred," Thomas started, teasing him with his Eikoko heritage. "But I'll return. So don't worry about me so much."

It was a lie which Vasilis had come to accept as a basic premise of his daily life. He threw everything he had of trinkets and gadgets onto the floor, knowing that they weren't crucially needed. These were his victories, and they were only possible with the assistance of his "son".

'_Why? Why am I so useless to my family lineage?_' His angst had been stored for decades, and he wished to live a normal life, not a constant reminder that he was inferior and only added frustration. '_Vejita does not need me. He never needed me when he was younger—plus his detective skills and combat experience.._.' He cracked the cavern wall with his fist, a feat that showed he was capable of going on par with Sedrick and Baddack, but not with his late brother.

"Master Bruce, is something wrong?"

Hearing the words coming from his brother's old friend, Vasilis decided he could confide in the 65 year old. That man had taught him and recommended him everything he needed to reach the point where he could be successful—yet he never said anything about Vejita's success. The kid had been a prodigy in growing as a fighter, so Vasilis Pioneeri had projected his view of his late brother onto Vejita, and became frustrated that he couldn't do anything correctly—other than cause others frustration.

"No. I'm simply tired of my responsibilities is all. Being the Leading general of Kairne's armies, my position puts me at odds with too much strain. I think its best now I return the authority over to _Padrone_ Johannes. "

It would have worked, had Alfredo not been their butler for 40 years. That, and he also knew it was completely asinine to believe it possible to give responsibility of the armies to the _Padrone_ while there was no declared war. "Yet Vejita's flip-flop of concern shows more honesty than your suggestions. I shall bring him over so that you two may speak."

"DON'T!" He shouted at first, then calmed himself after a silent self scolding. He knew he could not keep secrets from Alfredo, just as he had been his brother's friend, he was also his and a surrogate brother/mentor. "Just... I don't want Vejita to know what worries me. If he finds out all this time that I lied to him, then who's to know how he'll react? Oh, your father placed you in a cryogenic freezing chamber when you were barely several months old knowing he would be likely killed by a freakin' psychopathic schizophrenic serial murderer nihilist who dressed up as a jester and I happened to defrost you in 1989 because it was best to keep knowledge of your existence a secret until I could appear old enough to father a child? The boy knows things by the same manner my brother does; he's a natural born detective! I am—!"

"A sleuth who knows the sensitivity of a person's emotions. Master Bruce... you can degrade yourself, berate yourself, doubt yourself... but the fact is: you're a Pioneeri. Your brother solved crimes and defeated villains using logic and reasoning. You, on the otherhand, are gifted with Bejita Pioneeri's skill. Did you really think a polymath like him was logical? He was a romanticist, so he knew how to survive in Kairne during the political tension prior to the revolution, but he also learned how to survive in the wilderness. These days, we don't have those sort of sensitivities; people are blunt and broad of their feelings, placing masks to hide their persona—but you can easily see through them."

Vasilis stood there, awestruck at the wise words of Alfredo. He didn't want to ruin the moment, but he did wish to thank him for the confidence boost. However, the 65 year old had already known from experience that he succeeded.

"Rest, Master Bruce. I will be speaking with Vejita and ease his concern."

"No, wait Alfred. I'll do it. He... my son, denies his own feelings since he sees them as a weakness. They're part of him, the part that makes him human and what makes him differ from his father. I must have done something to have caused him such distress; even though he has accepted the training and lectures that my brother excelled in... I was denying him of a fatherly bond. He believes that to be a man, he should not show raw emotions. Thank you for showing me what I have been denying, Alfredo. Thank you."

He cracked a small smile in response to the younger Pioneeri of the previous generation, then watched him leave to meet up with his nephew.

There by the entrance of the gallery room, he saw the adolescent pacing in a set motion—ten steps to the gallery, and another ten away from where his mid point was to the general direction of the cellar. Meaning that Vejita _was_ conflicted whether he should check what was wrong with his father.

"F-father!" Vejita stopped immediately all action as he knew pacing around without much regard would cause him to slip on the hiked up rug and ruin the tapestry. It had happened before, when Taritsu had visited, but Vasilis never found out as the boy had launched himself into a backflip thanks to the quick thinking of using his acrobatic ability and the powerful snapping motion of his muscles. Needless to say, Alfredo had caught the two, but promised not to say anything as he knew there had not been any actual harm done. "Is there anything I can do to ease your nerves?"

'_This kid really amuses me._' Vasilis knew how volatile the child was early on: he felt rather independent at an early age, then quickly caught on to lessons of sarcasm and wit. Lately he had been much more interested in exerting authority with a reasonable cause, but his motives were all the same. '_He is indeed, Victor's son. A fine man Vejita has grown to be—and a rather wise leader to the men that follow. I just wish I could have done something to nurture his good intentions; there's seriously a bit of self doubt clouding his judgement._'

"No, Vejita. I—am fine. I am fine, and there is nothing that I had been worried of other than steering your companions away from entering a conspiracy that would forever mark them as targets to the eyes of the Illuminati."

"Then, why did you storm off in a hurry with all of the resources? You could have just limited what they could and couldn't look into without having to take everything away. I would have been responsible for the evidence as well."

Sighing, Vasilis decided to take a plunge in faith. If Vejita was really as perceptive as he thought, then the boy would instantly checkmate him by answering his most feared question as of lately. "Why do you think I took things away at the point Anthony Lance Sparks was speaking of Doctor Azerbaijani and his son?"

It was silent. Deadly silent and maddening not to receive a reply, but he knew that the young man was contemplating that question; the detail of his adam's apple bobbing as he gulp signified he had indeed been thrown a troubling situation to speak of. "Perhaps because like the old doctor, I am to you the only family left... ever since mother died."

'_...and apparently he also jumps to conclusions before applying skepticism._' Vasilis smiled at Vejita's good-natured reasoning. Indeed, even now he had still believed the stories of his mother (or rather those of his grandmother which Victor had told young Bruce as he grew) were absolutely reliable to this day. Feeling relieved, he scuffled the lad's hair—much to the owner's dismay—and told him not to worry so much about how he was insulted by the similarities between them and the Pyrastrenean doctor.

"Come on. I'm certain your teammates are waiting for your assistance. Go and join them while you still can. Got that?"

"Yes, father." Vejita spat out as he finished up grooming his messy hair from getting in the way of his eyes. Then he remembered having received proper notice from Taritsu earlier about heading towards a rural town in Boruvia. Oragawa—or something along those lines. It really didn't make sense without the proper context of the clue pertaining to a nuclear power plant that had been commissioned in 1984. "May I... borrow the plane?"

* * *

As far as the new year had been lively for Boruvia, there really hadn't been much people to distract the group as they had set off immediately for the small town that Adrian had concluded was the location where they'd find the fabled person of interest.

"_I still won't be convinced that de Folli figured out where the noun is._"

"Noun?"

"_Well it's not like I can exactly call it an android that replaced a human by mental cloning in public, can I!_" Anthony scolded Taritsu as he had taken with him Henry and Charlotte. Both of them would assist in case he was in trouble, and while he did inform them of his stamina's limitations—they made sure to locate sources of food to consume...seeing as it was much safer to let his biology do its natural function.

Taritsu smiled hearing that. Oh how he wanted to tell Anthony to shut his trap, and thanks to the advice Henry provided to survive in the streets, he evaluated all that was available for this opportunity. '_Damn, that phrase feels too vulgar for my tastes. Plus it wouldn't faze someone like Anthony it its original form._' He hate to instead alter the phrase a tad bit. "Pacify thy bosom."

"_Did you just insult me with that childish phrase? You may have used a stronger set of proper vocabulary, but the fail is strong in this one. Thou needs schooling, knave._"

"He got you there," was all Henry provided to comfort him.

However, the two did not expect their final member of the group to add in her two cents. "You should have said, "_Relax your sack,_" Taritsu."

"KAKAROTTO!"

"Bro, that is so uncool. Never talk about another guy's nether regions... unless you're consulting him as their doctor." Henry lectured on Charlotte's honest mistake.

Still, she was wondering why Taritsu was red in the face and avoided looking her in the eyes. Perhaps he was... jealous?

"Let's just get back on track, shall we? If what you told me is the consistent appearance, then we must look for a guy in a trench coat, sunglasses, and yellow scarf." Reminded Henry as they followed his lead.

After having spent their time looking for someone to have fit the description, Charlotte was the only one out of the group to have located such an individual, but denied success on her part as the person she found did not have glasses but seemed to wear a full facial mask. Taritsu, knowing that it is likely that someone once seen would change their appearance every so often, instead reassured that there was a slim chance they found him.

"We just have to see if his behavior lines up with what Bass told me."

* * *

After landing and leaving the plane to return automatically, Vejita quickly headed towards the aircraft that he recognized as Taritsu's work. It seemed sleeker and custom-made to maneuver in tight positions, such as if someone were to get into a dogfight with him, so the young adult knew it wasn't the kid's design. Most likely it would have been Kakarotto—which meant that those two were already likely engaging in some sort of trouble.

'_Why couldn't they have waited or kept me updated on this? Those two are idiots when it comes to staying out of enemy sights, especially since their target most likely doesn't want to be followed around._' He thought while passing through the town, crossing out all the possible locations that the group wouldn't be found at. Of course, the process of which he was doing things was slow, but he was more than determined and knowledgeable of fictional situations to have simply relied on calling the boy. Either that was his true, or he was simply justifying his pride with an excuse which made him seem far more capable than he initially thought. Fortunately, he had not needed to wait any longer than necessary to discover the three.

"You there. You're Rutabaski Taritsu?" The masked individual stated as he had finally been satisfied with the surroundings they were in. Not many innocent bystanders, and definitely no pesky witnesses to contact the authorities. He, however, was more intrigued by Taritsu than Taritsu was about him; it was definitely a red flag to have been recognized so easily (especially since it was the suspect) if Vejita ever saw one. "I knew someone was following me. I could tell by the breathing technique that you exhibited; amateur-like, but still recognizable as a practitioner of Hadou. Come on... I challenge you to a battle of warrior's honor!" Stated the masked man as he got into a modified stance which sort of resembled the one the three Kairnese adolescents had learn from Master Gouken.

"Sorry, but I didn't come here to fight. I'm looking for someone at the moment," the teen wisely did what he could to avoid unnecessary conflict. In all honesty, he may have found battling another as rather barbaric, but there were times when he engaged in such activities with Vejita; this was not those sort of times, and he definitely could not afford spending his time on an event like this. However, the challenger was unrelenting to give up on his demands, going off to even insulting his parents for raising a useless pansy. "Fine. Kakarotto; Henry. Both of you go on ahead without me and find our guy. I'll see to it I end this encounter to the best of my ability."

As the two left them alone, Taritsu began wondering what exactly had he done to deserve such an outcome. Nobody knew of his training, and it was far more plausible that the breathing techniques the stranger was speaking of was simply those which his grandfather knew of. The fact that his martial arts master had informed that he was one of the last few who taught hadou manipulation—made him wonder how this stranger could know anything of the art.

"Before I finalize my acceptance to this fight, tell me your name."

"You may call me Bane. We shall engage in combative sport. Let us see who trumps the other, Rutabaski: your basic training, or mine!"

The two started off their bout, with Bane taking his time in observing his movements. Seeing the boy speeding his way to counter his pivot jab, Bane slid a bit to the right and tanked the full force of the attack in the inside of his elbow. Strangely enough, he had not seemed to have been massively deterred by the blow, surprising Taritsu as he saw his opponent unfazed by the pain he should be feeling. In fact, considering his 6'4 frame, Bane simply disregarded the attack and slammed the boy with his right knee, causing him to succumb as his lungs suffered. It was unreal and rather refreshing, but while Taritsu knew that he shouldn't be playing around, he couldn't really do much to the challenger; not with the way he gave the boy a considerable safe distance by hopping 2.5 meters backwards. Taritsu was grateful for it too; Bane's attack had thrice as much force than what he had tolerated while sparring with his father, but it shouldn't have been much for the boy's concern of victory. He just had to take him seriously now.

'_But he knew who I was and didn't seem much affected by my first attack, so that means that he's at least twice as capable of handling whatever I can dish out with Vejita, Padre, and even Madre. He should be ready to handle whatever I can throw at him. Guess that means I should render his arms useless before he could hit me. That blow he did to my gut looks like it was just a fraction of what he could do with his upper body muscles._' He concluded as he remembered how his mother would always emphasize on temporarily crippling the opponent during battle to render them completely incapacitated and nonlethal.

"Any time now, Rutabaski." Bane stated, just as he had decided to pass the time by ridding himself of his weighted trench coat. In the corner of his eye, he saw the boy from his kneeling position launch towards him at an alarming rate, but had fortunately trained his body to its limits so that he could react fast enough to sidestep what was the incredibly dangerous Runner's Stance attack. This led Taritsu to find himself caught inside the heavy material of the trench coat and tumbling along the ground as his ligaments were ripped and damaged to a life-threatening level... had he not been practiced emergency crashing skills.

"Come on. You should have known better not to place so much faith into one attack! Had you not been gifted in the basics of Hadou, then you really would have given me the victory with that recoil-risk attack!" Bane yelled out his wisdom of battle as he felt himself relieved of 200 kilograms that was the trench coat alone. He seriously almost didn't think he wouldn't have been able to dodge it at such a close distance, but he somehow managed avoiding the boy.

'_He made a sonic boom. Just look at the ground underneath where he rested; it's cracked within a flash by his attack alone, and I'm certain that there's more to come. Master was right: the kid is a worthy opponent._' Bane thought as he raced towards the mangled form of the boy who landed eight miles into the surrounding mountain region. Overall, the boy had caused so much environmental devastation that was equivalent to a rocket engine propulsion, causing whatever was nearby to suffer from the shock waves and remain paralyzed for several moments... had they not reinforced themselves with hadou energy as Bane had.

Picking up the boy as he had been seeped of stamina, Taritsu could barely protest as the man had assisted him. "Come on. This can't be your limit, Rutabaski. Where's all that power you just used? Don't tell me you ran out of stamina already!" Bane yelled as he tossed the boy overhead, causing the teen to struggle in the air to free himself from the coat.

"There's more to you than you're allowing, Rutabaski. Where's that power of yours? The hadou energy you have doesn't lie—so do something and fight me!"

Taritsu continued to tolerate the slamming fists of Bane as he had jumped after him with hadou energy, and continuously rushed him with pummeling fists while he was in the air—then kicked him twelve feet away before landing. Grabbing the boy by the back of his neck, Bane began tormenting him once again. "You should either fight me seriously now, or I'll break more than just your bones. Pretending you don't have what it takes would get you killed in a real fight, but I'll leave you alive. I promise as it is the Saiyan's code of honor to never kill unless stating their intention from the beginning."

In response, Bane merely caught on to him grumbling a few words in pain. He didn't want to fight, not when it was obviously one-sided like this.

"What was that? Speak louder or I can't hear you!"

"Honor?" He began laughing while doing his best to covet the pain of doing so. "Such a concept doesn't interest me at all. Not the way which you present it to me."

Unfortunately Bane did not find it amusing. His beliefs being insulted by that line, he decided to crack the boy's arm with a chopping blow! "You can't deny your heritage Rutabaski. This pain you feel is temporary, as is your life, but I will not be the one to execute you. Since you reject accepting the Saiyan's code of honor, then there is no possible way you can survive in battle against someone else. I shall grant you one last offer: fight me seriously, or accept the embrace of death now—!"

Vejita was in shock as to the change in events as he observed from afar. While he did respect the fight as it was custom to do so during challenges of solo duels, he didn't accept the manner of which this stranger was mauling the younger male. It had gone off to the point of where he decided to interfere, but another had beat him to Bane first. Even worse—Bane found the strikes from the new challenger rather pitiful and annoying.

"Aiming for my vital points? Heh. Hahahaha—instant killing techniques are useless against me!" Bane stated as he tossed Taritsu away and grabbed Charlotte's fists with extraordinary precision. '_This girl... reminds me of someone weak, yet certainly stronger than I'd expect. Good._'

"Let go of me, bully!"

"Hmm? I did not torment him for my own benefit. I consider this interaction as a type of mentoring—though it seems now that he does not deserve it. You—Kakarotto—will feel what would be considered the outcome of bullying, but I will leave you alive." Bane stated coldly. The thrill of having to do this was strangely overwhelming him with vengeful glee. It was not something Bane could explain so easily. Taritsu's passive refusal to fight was a disgrace to those who had fallen—and at the very least he had accepted his near-death experience with the knowledge that the boy could hold his own. "Stay down. Or I will make you stay down."

Charlotte spat at his mask, refusing to follow the command of someone as treacherous as him. Initially, she had been hoping to stall long enough for Taritsu to recover his stamina, but now she had began worrying whether or not he could stand on his own. By the corner of her eye, she could see that he was struggling to stand after having his ribs and left arm broken, and possibly even suffering from a punctured lung. There was definitely no way he could continue to fight; not if he tried doing so in his base form. "TARI! GET UP~!"

Cut off in mid-sentence, Charlotte cried as Bane had pressed at her chest cavity, leaving the girl to collapse from the pain. With tears welling in her eyes, she rolled away slowly to push herself back up, but found his foot keeping her from escaping.

"You stupid whore," Bane muttered. He had enough of the intrusive challenger, and enough of her ridiculous perception of the world. "You don't realize that your failure is inevitable? Relying on others in a fight isn't wise when your allies can't come to save you. What makes you think he will overcome all limi—tations!?"

Finding his tail grabbed by the teen he had grounded with massive amounts of punishment, he raged against the idea of Taritsu having committed a dishonorable act for their fight. With his mind made up, he violently kicked the boy in the gut, continuing to do so while the boy clenched Bane's tail with hands cupped together, but instead of wondering why he kept his hands together once it slipped out of them, he simply sneered while looming over the defeated teen.

"So you decided upon an early death? And committing to a prayer as well? I commend you for the bold, yet foolish decision, Rutabaski. You would have been left alive before this scuffle. Broken—but alive I assure you. _What are you doing?_"

"Has _your_ master taught you this?!"

The energy Taritsu had used for his attack was not enough to actually harm Bane; he had lost most of it while keeping his pain from incapacitating it in order to stop Bane from harming Charlotte. Though it had been enough to ruin the mask and expose part of his face to reveal his hair and left onyx eye up to the gold earring, Bane was no more harmed than he had been temporarily paralyzed by the delayed effects of Taritsu's modified hadouken blast.

"NOW HENRY!"

The opportunity was perfect for both of the older boys once they found their enemy vulnerable. Rushing Bane by working together, they landed blows at all the spots typically recognized to disable physiological function—at least until Bane retaliated as he was largely unaffected once they realize that their attacks had done nothing more but simple bruises caused him to cackle madly.

'_Just how strong... is this guy?_'

"You're all weak." Bane stated as he propelled forwards, grabbed the two by the head, and bumped them together. Next he tripped Henry and threw Vejita on top of him, before taking the two and raking them along the ground. "How's that? Is it fun—or do I need to grant you some more? I'll take your silence as a 'go ahead'."

"Burn in hell." Vejita gasped out before Bane continued once again. Instead, he decided to teach Vejita a separate lesson.

"I could kill you, simple as the manner that I broken each of your bones. Notice, that the regent haired one does dish out a much stronger force behind his punches, far more assured of himself than either of the other two. You, however, are better than these lowly scum—so instead of killing you~" He grabbed Vejita by the collar bone and his waist, holding him up above his head as if to toss him overhead. "I SHALL TURN YOUR LIFE INTO A LIVING HELL!"

_SNAAAAAP!_

The loud crunch of his back confirmed what had been intended for Taritsu originally, but he instead decided to deliver it to Vejita as the gains of his lesson. Only then would the others know not to jump into a battle between two fighters.

Yet what kept Bane from continuing the onslaught... was the pitiful pebble throwing which Taritsu had been committing to. To Bane's perspective, it was a sign of a warrior's resolve—almost enough to make him reconsider ending the boy's life sentence. Almost.

"Look at you. Wasted and gasping for air, yet you reserve a will for battle. This is the warrior spirit you possess, Rutabaski, but I am curious: How would you react if they die on your terms?"

_Huuerk!_

The yearn to escape his pain was overwhelming the boy as he grasped the dirt beneath his palms, doing the best he could to pull away. Instead, he was yanked back in place by his tail, then crushed before beaten once again until he was a bloody pulp—all the while he was given an explanation of his punishment.

"The first rule of our code is to, in no way intentionally or unintentionally, bring shame to the family or those related to you—as it reflects who you are and what they are as well. The second is to engage in battle to test their strength; this means that your enemy must be in full strength at the start of the fight, and must be of equal or greater strength in order for it to be a solo bout. Third rule stems from the second, but if you are to run from or deny a fight, it is dishonorable—unless it is known that your life is in danger, then there is no qualms. That means the next time two saiyans meet, then they will have a rematch."

"You've crushed me, jabbed me, dragged me, all but killed me—heck, even decided to tortured me... but why are you making me suffer, knowing that they had nothing to do with this?" Taritsu gasped out immediately.

"You want to know. You honestly want to know?" Bane began chuckling madly, then started to pull off his torn mask and replaced it before Taritsu could get a good look of his identity. It didn't actually matter that he did that, since the boy was too disoriented to catch a proper glimpse of the details and he wouldn't be able to recognize his opponent. "Where is your fabled speed, Rutabaski? Where has your strength gone; the ability which has been associated with your feats? Is this all there is to the mighty Taritsu—the boy born of the night of the rare Sanguine-Sapphire Eclipse? You killed them... MERCILOUSLY. YOU MINDLESS BEAST!"

The boy was chucked once again, tumbling across the ground until he stopped and tried to stand on his feet, only to collapse as he did his best to keep the tears from welling. If there was anything he hated more, it was allowing his fears and weaknesses be shown to an opponent.

"It's simple, really. The reason I did this to you, is because I dislike you. You were really only an opponent I wanted to test my abilities against, but it seems time has weakened you. They got in the way, and suffered because they violated the fourth rule: no backstabbing, and if you are to kill someone, tell them that you intend to initially. I decided a long time ago, that I would use my second chance in life to see if you really were the strongest of the fittest, but it appears that you are a disgrace to all of the saiyans. Our forefathers of Ancient Kairne are shamed of your reluctance to fight. What I am doing is not of superstitious fear, but the duty to uphold our ancestor's values, just as my master upholds."

There was no feeling anymore. No sensations, no struggle. No fear. He gave in to defeat, accepting his loss and allowing himself to rest his tense muscles. Bane apparently noticed this, seeing as he had took the sight before him as a sign that the victory was his.

"Such a shame. And here I thought you were really going to come at me with one last attempt. When you return to full strength, I would like a rematch. Until then, get your friends some medical attention; they'll need it."

"GET AWAY FROM TARI, YOU BASTARD!" Charlotte yelled as she saw her friend grounded and struggling. What was the fervor of life in his eyes, a determination of protection for those incapable, had now slipped away as he was defeated. Slowly and painfully... she glared at the attacker, furious to the core with having threatened his life... but despite everything considered—there was still a small glimmer of hope!

Materializing like a phantasm by the boy's hand was another hand—of another being as indicative of the long gloves with studs on the back. Without warning to either party, he immediately propelled into the air and landed a surprising uppercut, causing Bane exclaiming in agony as he had not anticipated his competitive drive to flare with Charlotte's presence. Although it wasn't much to incapacitate him, it had been enough to push him over the edge and slam his arm against his exposed neck before choosing to escape as a travelling stranger had shot him afterwards, posing an actual threat with projectile blasts that scorched him. His weak stamina also contributed to that.

The last of what Taritsu heard before passing out from his strained, broken neck... was the muffled voice of a calming authority figure wearing the described trench coat with sunglasses and yellow scarf.


	36. Chapter 36

**Arc III**

**Chapter 12**

**Hither is thy agony**

* * *

_There is a world external to the minds of all beings. What I wonder of this reality—is not the same as what the spoutings of these solipsistic idealists say of our reality being made by our minds. We're all just prisoners of our own minds. How pitiful and disregarding. _

_Since as early as I can remember, I have had this unique ability of seeing the unseen. I could tell when people lie, when things are likely to happen, the nymphs and faeries that the townsfolk blame for what troubles plague their lives—yet aren't actually bothering to invest their time to mess with them. Most of all, the fantastic world of which the people I come to greet each day cannot see is something I oft find myself daydreaming of losing myself in it. Alongside this world, I can see the numerical foundation of reality. Truth does not hide itself from me; it embraces me as its child—as its guardian and successor. You may think of me as a strange child among the people of this world, but the truth is: I do not belong with them._

"Then, why are you here?"

The letter which had been read by the young green haired human female had revealed a grave secret upon which her friend was told never to reveal to god nor demon. He had sworn it as a testament and vow of his trust in Blekk, but he had enough of hiding secrets from his friend. She could be trusted, and he didn't intend to announce that he was a being from another realm. Gods and demon were feared by the lesser humans—as they would often times mess around with them like playthings. They were the actual ones responsible for their calamities... not unlike the nymphs and faeries which they shifted the blame upon. People could pray all they want, but the fact of the matter was that these beings did not care one bit for their grievances.

"Parthena—it's not as simple as you think. Blekk has yet to tell me why, but he~!"

"The wise wizard Blekk? You're likely delusional from the spells and knowledge which thaumaturgy has access to—but believing you aren't human? Preposterous!" She said and continued to laugh, much to the boy's expectations.

"I'm telling the truth here. I'm not like the others. Same with you! My dear, wise Seiya..."

His mocking shut her up. She knew never to challenge his intellect, for he knew much more than instructors, politicians, artisans. Heck, one could argue he was the next generation's greatest sage!

For that reason, she decided to counter his claim with a test. Maybe even learn something for once. "Alright. Let's say you are telling the truth, then what? Tell me what you know, Oura Boros."

His pristine white locks had become stained in blood, and his face had looked elsewhere but in her direction. Most likely due to what she had said, she did not realize that her surroundings of the peaceful hill they met up with each other daily changed into a battlefield where swords had been plunged into the earth and blood splattered around the ground as if it were literally intended to nourish the life which had been lost. All in all, what Parthena was most frightened of once noticing this change was whether or not her best friend had been affected at all. His glossy pristine tail didn't seem to indicate that he had; it was likely he was still the same.

Yet once she took her eyes off of him, she saw a grown man, a literal giant, wearing battle gear with armor displaying the insignia of the elder god's six-piece holy key and another of a crescent moon. All over the silver-blue tunic which she had associated with his childhood clothing. Without a second to waste, what she feared had soon transitioned into the size of a six foot five person, whose face was hidden by the shadowy darkness as he driven her to edge away on her back. Fear overriding what hope she had, what was once the soft, pleasant and patient breathing of the boy was replaced by that of a blood-lusted wolf who had his first taste of prey—and saw her as the perfect meal to whom he would feast upon next. Taking the double-helix sword in hand, he pierced her shoulder in place, ensuring that her escape was essentially nonexistent, allowing him to do as he'd like to bring her the pain which he had harbored specifically for her alone as his fangs drew ever closer towards her delicate neck—then ripping it away!

"AAAAHHHHH!"

"...Valery. It's okay! You were sleeping; there is no danger."

Having registered her surroundings, the dreamer had settled gradually from her nightmare, and did her best to keep from weeping. She knew Valeria wasn't going to handle knowledge of her terrors so easily, so it was best to refrain from the situation entirely. In its place, she'd reveal instead that terrible feeling which had subsided from her; Taritsu had been challenge for a fight, and though the nature of it was due to vengeance, his enemy had felt guilty of having "_killed_" him in the end. Even worse still—he had access to the serum of the DNA from the Euric Devils!

"You must tell Johannes of this, Valeria. Mauricio's parents will not take the news easily, as their concern is their child first. He'll live, I am sure of it, but the danger resides in that Hadou practitioner with the serum. You can't let the supremacists recruit others with the same capabilities!"

* * *

Distant sounds and voices usually interrupted his sleep, but the individual who was formerly referred to by The Pyrastrenean Clone found himself comfortable in the presence of the girl whom he subtly recognized. He had no idea what these men wanted; they were mere scientists who would test him or require samples from him routinely, but they left him be with the girl. It was what made all up for their treatment of him.

"_Mariya..._" The name escaped from his lips as the girl, the frail whom those men called Saccha Rommyces, continued to sleep under his watchful eye. Currently, their sleeping positions consisted of her in the center of the room, with him by either of the sides of said room, where he would rest his eyes and try to sleep with arms akimbo, but would suffer the inconvenience of what was his sensitive hearing. This time, however, she clutched onto his sleeve as he had traveled over to check on her breathing as it seemed slightly heavier and taxed than usual. Glad that it wasn't rather serious, he decided to let the girl hold onto him. Besides... he was curious as to what happened to this Mariya whom he did not remember properly; nor had he an idea of who he really was.

"_It's rather excellent news, Ivo. They have confirmed that he died against "our" newest test subject: Bane. We don't need worry about his interference anymore!_" Cackled the madman whom he recognized as Arlo Johnstonii.

"_Yes, but a cervical fracture does not constitute as an immediate death. Wasn't it you who stated that he had regenerative abilities underlined in his genetics? I wouldn't be so quick to accept the news and celebrate, but one thing does stem from this that I am interested in knowing. Send your field agent to study his recovery; he may very well reveal what parameters Shadow also has._"

'_This kid... Rutabaski brat as Arlo calls him... has failed in a fight?_' He began contemplating why the boy would not take that so seriously—especially since his life was on the line. However, instead of believing he was refusing to fight seriously... he gave Taritsu the benefit of the doubt and concluded that he was most likely troubled by something else. '_Yes. Had it been that way, then it presumes him inferior, which makes me the superior one. By what that madman spouts, it seems him and I are rather similar in capabilities—but I am no faker. We shall see someday... who is really the superior one in this world Rutabaski Taritsu, but I will not go down so easily. Not with Mariya—who needs me._'

* * *

The tension high and anticipation of him being bedridden longer, Sugata had fallen backwards as his cousin had jumped awake after twenty-one hours of sleep.

"Fwuah!" He cried, entering a battle stance and holding his cousin down as he slowly came to realize that he was no longer in any danger. The samurai maneuvering himself to raise his defenses, the two had not been trained to act casually once the door to the room clicked open to allow people to enter.

"Sugata-kun. I see you and Kyousuke-kun are busy. I'll return later after this mutual coupling."

"Cinna-chan, wait! It's just a misunderstanding, I swear!"

'_Sugata... and Cinna?' He looked around the room, trying to piece together where he was and how his cousin and the shrine priestess' daughter was here with him. 'I could have sworn I was still in Sagratia with Zio, padre y madre..._'

"Rather strange that you documented every thought and events in this journal, _itoko_. Well, I guess I forget things too, but the way you seemed frantic about it seems rather strange."

'_Huh?_'

It was a rather detailed journal, likely classified better as a manuscript, holding all the information which had been labeled with "_important_", "_top secret_", and "_never forget_" along each except added for the last few weeks. The most sensitive parts of the mysterious book seemed to have been described with great finesse and in a language which he vaguely recognized. Especially the part pertaining to what he and Euphemia had been together one night; something about sleeping together...

"Woah,_ itoko_! You're already that far along in a relationship?"

"I don't remember that, Sugata. Hell, this is the first time I saw this in my life. The only reason I'd likely have to would be in case I ever forgot important information, but that rarely happens..." His eyes having widened by the excerpt of what had occurred the other day, he remained silent as he found himself immersed in the turmoil of emotions associated with the onslaught that had led to him being bedridden. The description of his friends having done what they could to have assisted in his fight, only to find themselves punished for doing so... and Vejita's back being cracked mercilessly. The only thing that allowed him to calm down was that it was just a dream. '_A dream based on what crazy antics I probably written down during my sleep... but I would have remembered writing in Xetsu's diary_—_and I don't know anyone in the family who can write such complex languages. Well, Gramps knows thanks to his history education, but I doubt he would have gotten the book. Also, why is it here?_'

"Hey, Sugata. I need a phone."

"Eh? The only one available is a landline. Zeferi-san doesn't own anything that can make international calls—not counting her cell of course. Besides, your parents have already been informed, and the others are accounted for their injuries. Don't worry so much about it." Sugata explained, then excused himself as he had figured it was best to explain to Cinna what had happened between them. The younger male didn't protest at all, being enthralled by the book in his hand, but was rather curious as to when he had gotten it. Not only that, by what it stated inside—Zeferi was an acquaintance of the family, and it had been thanks to Cesare's son-in-law that he wasn't bound to a contract. Technically.

'_Zeferi eh? I think I remember being told by Nonna that he was an incredibly close friend to Gramps. Wait. How in the world did I get here, and not in a hospital for my injuries?_' It was strange seeing as he should be at the very least in a cast, along with an IV drip and (seeing as he read the passage where it stated he allegedly had been attacked at the neck) wearing a neck brace. Not only that, but the pain he had wasn't preventing him from moving at all; it was more of an annoyance than a hindrance to his abilities. '_No matter. I have to find Sharurotto, Henry, and Vejita. I'm pretty sure Henry isn't really harmed, but the other two I worry about._'

Closing the beige covered manuscript, he reminded himself to confront his paternal grandparents later on the matter for anything else that seemed out of place, but trusted what descriptions it had on the battle he had with some masked stranger who dubbed himself Bane and interfered with his investigation. All for something to do with _Saiyan Honor_! How pathetic.

For a while, he found the place rather similarly set up like the old temple back in Chihaba, but altered in some way or another with things organized differently here and there. Nevertheless, it was still easy to navigate his way through and not exactly as he would have expected from the family whose heir was supposed to be engaged with Stephanie Euphemia Chandler. Honestly he had no idea how Soren Zeferi was like, but the way Euphemia spoke of him in the previous years and recently made him unlikable. Cowardly. Hell, pretty much anything you'd used to describe a conman.

'_I mustn't judge someone so easily. Until I meet him in person, I must do my best to remain unbiased, though it is a bit difficult since the others and I have been helped twice now. It would be rude to strike their son if he really is a scoundrel...erk!_'

Seeing the stranger before him, he had really no clue as to who it was. Being that it was a woman, and working with what appeared as _herbaceous plants_, he concluded easily that she had vast knowledge in the field. If he were to guess her age, it would be no more than a few years older than either of his parents—but what really gave away her identity was the greeting which her husband automatically said as he casually slid the daidokoro shōji.

"Ah. So you weren't kidding when you told me Rutabaski was a patient. He seems better now than how you told me at first. Had I known, I would had been able to reassure Yanagi-san that he was fine." Anthonio joked, which his wife chuckled to slightly as she too found it better to alleviate herself of stress rather than accumulate it and appear tense for when the boy's family arrived. The woman, according to what he saw in a personal room earlier while exploring, was deduced to be Seiko Zeferi, though his notes had the name jolted down as Holly Zeferi.

'_I'm not going to argue with this inconsistency._' He bowed in respect to the two, thanking them for their generous hospitality. "I don't think I would have survived, had I not been looked after in my critical state, but if you don't mind—please tell me how I got here."

Seiko appeared rather amused at what he had said; not because he was spouting nonsense, but because he had praised her indirectly. In all her years as an economic botanist, her research of the benefits in exploiting plants to serve the betterment of human recovery and physiology was well grounded with traditional medicinal herbs taught by her mother's family. Back in her youth, they expected her to take up the role of a warrior, like her parents were, but she was instead interested in alleviating pain and suffering. Rather disappointing for the family, but acceptable as she did agree to treat combatants who fallen in battle from time to time. In return, it served as a great way to protect her family thanks to the relationships built upon her services, but never had she expected to see Taritsu Rutabaski under her roof.

"I have no more knowledge on that other than you and your friends having been found by a traveler. You were all battered and bruised, along with heavily bandaged, but nothing too serious. As my husband stated earlier, had I known you would recover so quickly, I wouldn't have worried your mother. Then again, the sunflower oil did wonders for your health—and quickly! Don't overdo things just because you were able to recover so fast. If you want to know more of the traveler, ask~."

"I brought the perennials as you asked." Soren interrupted at the worst possible time, but Taritsu could piece what had likely happened by what he saw and predicted of the woman's next couple of words.

When he first eyed the boy, he yielded a form of anger, but that quickly left him as he joked while greeting and explaining to Taritsu how he got here. "If I knew you weren't in danger, I would have left you behind on your own. Unfortunately that's not really an option here by Narusawa village's outskirts. Actually, I take back what I said; it was rude, and informal of me as a host. Is there something you would like, Rutabaski?"

The two excused themselves as they left to see where the others were, bringing Taritsu to thank the adolescent for his consideration. While observing the young host, he analyzed his personal being, to which he concluded there was an inconsistency on information as Euphemia had described the guy. Granted, if this were based on her description of him from 9 years ago, then it would definitely be different. Alas: such bias views remained in her mind as she spoke ill of his character recently as well.

Stopping just before a door that was their destination, Soren stood idly while considering how to ask the kid a serious question. '_It's him, the guy from four years ago. Euphemia loves him, and he's in my home._' He seriously wanted to punch his teeth out at this moment, but remembered that he made a promise to that crying girl. What Soren could not understand about himself was how easily he found ways to see injustices, and how quick he was to give up, but if presented with others facing problems... he would do everything possible to prevent them from going off the deep end. It was... complicated to put into words, but with Taritsu here... perhaps he could learn more of how to handle his issue.

"Let me be clear Rutabaski. Your friends are under my mother's care, so they'll recover, but the oldest of your group may not be able to walk for a month or so. What I'm going to show you may be heart retching, but there's more of a chance he'll survive than die had I not been found by that traveling woman. There are no hospitals nearby for miles, and if I didn't reassure the frantic girl in your group...no, it's too strong to say it into words. Just prepare yourself in case that female friend is still distressed."

He nodded obediently, but wondered who it had been who found him. Was it the target they were looking for?

"Some dark haired woman in her early thirties with purple eyes told me you were in grave need of assistance."

'_Shizuka was around here?_'

"She didn't know what happened to either of you or even stuck around for the girl to thank. According to your friend though, it was a trench coat wearing individual who ensured your breathing wasn't obstructed. Seems to have done a good job too, but you seemed most vulnerable according to that friend. Anyway, they await for your arrival."

* * *

Sedrick had little clue as to why he and his wife brought along their son's female friend for something so sensitive. Though they both knew what had happened, neither of the Chandler daughters knew what had happened, and he was left wondering why exactly did they not leave them at their home. His wife was making it obvious that it was something serious, but thankfully her behavior ceased once she answered his cell and heard the news of their son's recovery.

"Thank you so much, Zeferi-san." Yanagi said before ending the call. Now that she was relieved, Sedrick had yet to wondering if the sisters had caught onto Yanagi's words. Surprisingly, it appeared that the elder sibling, Clarinda, had covered her sisters ears during the entirety of the call, much to her younger sister's annoyance.

"Any word on what happened?" Vasilis stated from the front of the vehicle. They were already nearing the entrance of their address, which meant only a few minutes remained before Yanagi would rush in and embrace Taritsu like a mother hen. Rather amusing to Sedrick, but he had a mutual understanding as to why she would take it so seriously. According to what Seiko had told them, it was due to them all being caught in a fight that left the two of them in a critical state. The fight was also initiated by some stranger wanting to challenge their son into a 1v1 match, but the others joined in seeing him completely overwhelmed.

"Looks like we're going to have to see for ourselves, General Pioneeri." Cheisu stated politely as they saw before them Anthonio Zeferi waiting for their arrival. Greeting them all with a general evening welcome, he led the group as they were informed of the current situation, whilst Yanagi felt rather uncomfortable being inside the building as she had this sort of intuition of being watched.

"Mind the eeriness of the place; Seiko and I were going to move to a new home, but we had Soren while she was still living with her family. The Tsukino clan really took a liking to him, so we haven't gotten any time or reasons to move without disrespecting her family. Also, I advise you to keep your hands off the boarding, Riccardo. Don't want to mess with the nutrients Seiko cultivated for her plants."

Before them in the hall was the two older adolescents whom both Sedrick and Yanagi recognized as Sugata and Cinna. While Sugata wasn't much known for expressing his frustrations, it was frightening to see how he was doing what he could to calm himself before deciding to enter the room where Vejita was in. While he knew his cousin was looking to see how the others were, Sugata found that Vejita had it worse off than all of them combined (though it was debatable as they originally said that Taritsu needed treatment immediately).

"Mr. Pioneeri... if you could please join Caine and Nagato in the room to see your son, I would appreciate you handling his issues. He was tough to treat for what had happened, so try to keep yourself from losing it." Anthonio whispered lowly so as to keep the minors from hearing what dangers took place.

"Much obliged, Zeferi."

Now left to only the six of them, the atmosphere of the room transitioned into one of grim nature, reflecting the anxieties which they felt for their family members. If Vejita's condition was so bad that it made Sugata worry about how his father would handle it, then what about Taritsu and Charlotte? There really wasn't any time to think about it; Anthonio had halted as soon as he saw his son right besides the entrance of the door of their destination. Holding onto what appeared to be a sort of tessellated bandanna patterned with a single row of triangles, he had not noticed the arrival of the family.

Midway into his greeting, he had a nervous tic that caused him to flash a smile—one which somehow wasn't noticed by his father. However, his anxiety caused by seeing Euphemia among them disappeared knowing that it was best to excuse himself to speak with his mother about schooling matters; that was the current issue he was trying to talk to them about ever since they confronted him about something being a bit off with him.

What the family saw before them was rather surprising. Actually, it was more of the kind of easing surprise, but unexpected nonetheless. By Charlotte's bed, Taritsu had been feeding her meal personally, which to others seemed rather natural and well-mannered coming from the child of the Rutabaski family. Yet, it was a foreboding sight to both of his parents as they had noted his agitated tail... as well as the signs of anger that he displayed when he was younger and not yet mature enough to handle the injustices as Sedrick had remembered his son had reacted when he read his hidden letter. Still, they didn't think anything was out of the ordinary when he placed the bowl to the side, greeted them briefly, and then excused himself. Only Sedrick knew of his boy's pent up rage—and it affected him too.

"Riccardo! Why did you punch your own son?! He had just recov~"

"You were thinking about going after revenge, weren't you, Mauricio?"

Struggling under his father's headlock, the boy tried to escape using what knowledge he had to squirm out of it and then resorted to calling him obscenities once that resulted to no avail.

"I have no other choice, damn it! He did this to all of us, and had almost k~!"

"That doesn't justify your anger. I don't care if you hate me with every fiber of your being, but this is for your own good. You should have just ran away from that fight, so what good is it to get vengeance when you brought these problems onto yourself?"

"HE INSULTED MY FAMILY."

"And for that you risked both your life and those of your companions as well? Face it Mauricio: he outclassed you then, he'll outclass you now. This foolishness would simply get you killed. Be grateful I haven't decided to sever ties."

Having touched upon a sensitive topic, Yanagi tried to ease her husband, who only ignored her input and continued to press on a lesson which his son had not yet learned. "_They_ said that I was wasting my time trying to teach a child like _you_ to be civilized. That I should have given up on you when you were born. Now I understand why I shouldn't trust my own son to do the _right_ thing; you haven't learned _any_ of the critical lessons I've taught you."

Having crudely disowned his son with those words, Sedrick stormed off to cool down, leaving the others to wonder how to react. Both Cheisu and Anthonio had the same idea in convincing Sedrick to take back what he said, whilst Clarinda took to consulting Taritsu's mother on what had just happened, leaving the affected child unattended with just his thoughts and guilts to reflect on. Unattended was the operative word.

"Umm... I'll come back here later. Just don't do anything brash or impulsive." Said Henry as he walked in on the kneeled boy with both Euphemia and Charlotte having looks of pity for their friend. It looked more like a scene from one of those adult films to Henry, but he knew better to conclude that such acts would result with them being of high standard. Besides, he was fairly certain that the kid was currently contemplating something to do with his father's remarks.

Silent as she eyed her childhood friend, Euphemia crouched down to his level and rested her head on his shoulder, placing her hand over his as an attempt to calm down his racing thoughts. It was incredibly necessary and convenient for her to have done this for the boy who she loved; to have felt betrayed by someone considered like family was a great crime in her eyes. She knew from personal experience of a similar situation—but his was likely a thousand times worse than how she registered the feeling.

"Tari?" Began the soft voice of Charlotte's, wishing she could have down something to have helped. However, instead of allowing him to remain reclusive in his own thoughts, she tried explaining that he shouldn't make decisions having the state of mind affected by volatile emotions. "He didn't mean what he said. Your papa loves you, and he knows that you were just trying to atone for your inability. I'm glad you care so much, Tari~"

"I know. He never meant what you heard."

That left the two girls to wonder what the son meant of his answer.

'_I really have no clue how father was affected over the course of a month. Likely my health and his concerns were a factor in his decision to say something so boldly, but I am more than certain we have a healthy relationship. Otherwise I wouldn't be let off so easily._' He knew how serious and austere his father was about these sorts of matters. Lately he also knew of his diminishing stamina—as according to Xetsu's diary.

Then again, that book revealed a lot he seemed to have done over the last few weeks: he was "_engaged_" with Karalynne, he had some kind of trial before the Allied Nations, his father and mother brought him over to be checked by his old Hadou mentor, and he and Euphemia had shared a special moment together.

Speaking of Euphemia, he felt her soft, smooth skin brushing over his hand, thus causing him to blush at the thought of being treated with so much trust in him by a girl. "I don't expect you to understand my reasoning, but know we won't be broken because of this. This is rather docile, coming from my father; if he wanted to, I would have been knocked out when he caught me, but that would have simply fettered my anger. It's subsided now, but mother was affected by our scene. I've learned the lesson he was implying about_—_I just happened to forgot when I saw how broken Vejita was."

"It isn't your fault though. He chose to involve himself to help you. There is a way for you to get what you desired, but it wouldn't be to the extreme measure you wanted from the beginning Tari."

'_Intriguing and wise, Charlotte._' "Shoot."

Charlotte thought about it for as long as she had been waiting for his recovery. At first, she too wanted to see Bane killed for what he had done—even deciding as far as to kill him herself. Then she realized that it was an act that her friend wasn't much appreciative of; Taritsu held such behavior as barbaric and mindless, things which snuffed the mental capacity of a rational mind and led to them slipping into levels of insanity that took years to recover from. If not that, then it would have to be some action that allowed Taritsu to get revenge through a moral means. "You could handle him with his own value system. Didn't he say something about _Saiyans_?"

"One problem though."

"What's that?"

Seeing him take a moment to contemplate his plans for the next several days, he knew if dedicating himself time to train, he'd have to sacrifice responsibilities. The likelihood of meeting up with Bane was rather low, seeing as that may have been a one time encounter, but factors persisted that he may have to acknowledge. Those being that he was a hadou practitioner and spoke of Saiyan culture ruled out he spent most of his days around the area of Eastern Kairne, and that he also said things having to do with his low stamina and unlikely survival had it been anyone else.

Not only that, but he was confused about two other things. Things that were more subtle between their interactions.

'_He spoke of us as if we met before__—so there must be some sort of history justifying his actions to challenge me in his mind. Also, that solution that pumped into his blood system intrigued me; his strength was augmented to new parameters which I couldn't quantify... and knowing how Eastern Kairne is plagued by WUSS operatives... it isn't too crazy to think that they are connected. I must get stronger, not only for my rematch, but for my leads and for the sake of the others._' His decision being well thought out and considerate of all variables intertwined with his encounter, Taritsu convinced himself to seek temporary assistance for the time being.

"Euphie, may I ask you a favor?"

* * *

"What's going on now, Jojo?"

Placing the phone away as he thanked the palace servants who kept the place spotless and optimal, Johannes told them to take the rest of the day off, along with the next two days before addressing his wife what he had in mind. It was unlike him to make such an order without explaining his reasoning—as usually it'd be of holidays or familial visits. From what Catalina heard of his conversation, that possibility was rather low and conspicuous as he let out a deep, dejected sigh. Taking his forefinger and thumb to rub his forehead as to relieve what irritation the news gave him, Catalina noticed how her husband had recovered most of his handsome features from the aged appearance of his silver-blue hair when they first reunited. The color was fierce now_—_just like he was associated with.

Finally, he addressed the issue on his mind to discuss the decision with his wife. It was certainly too late to have asked that it'd be done, but the circumstances called for such drastic actions. Especially since it did concern them of their longtime enemies, who they had yet to discover their head base of operations. Taking his old set of clackers, bracers, heavy ton boots, and Juliano's written Hadou instructions—along with his old uniform—he stored away a long time ago, he held them to emphasize his seriousness. "Catalina...it is time we train Mauricio. _Properly._"


	37. Chapter 37

**Arc III**

**Chapter 13**

**Thus begins his training**

* * *

To Baddack, hearing the news of his friend saying such things to his own son was a tad bit to the extreme. Vasilis, however, was more along the lines of wondering what was wrong with the father as he never displayed such uncalled for outrages before.

"In front of them? Sed did such a thing?"

"That's what they told me," Vasilis sighed as the chances of him being able to take a break from his military duties slipped away with Sedrick's act. He couldn't exactly criticize the man, since it wasn't unnatural for him to do such a thing, but Vasilis was also concerned of what was going on with the boy's mind. "I really haven't much clue with the boys, Baddack. On the day of the trial, I noticed that our primogeniture leader was uncharacteristically quiet. He wasn't acting like himself, and much more observant of his situation. Didn't you notice how he made that decision of challenging the idea of him being a demon child? He gave himself a punishment with a two year time limit to prove he wasn't like they thought!"

The idea that the boy was acting far more peculiar than usual did strike them odd; Baddack was used to the boy calling him uncle using his father's language. The fact that the boy was biting off more than he would necessarily load himself with in the past—was likely for the better. If something was going on behind the scenes that they were worried about, it could be due part to that illness Amanda Burnes informed them about. However, there was more certainty that the boy could handle it.

'_It'd also wouldn't likely be love._' He remembered the answer the boy gave him two days ago. On December 31st, he saw both Taritsu and Euphemia hugging one another in a position allegedly described to have been the result of the two sleeping platonically with one another. Had Baddack not remind himself that this was his friend's son—the boy whom Marguerite had explained was more curious and distinct with moral standards than indulgent in base desires—then he would have simply left the kid in a condition where he'd identify as a eunuch from there on out. '_He had also found the female mindset too volatile and irrational to his liking._'

Seeing the older man sport a sly grin, Vasilis was led to believe he had some sort of solution to their issue at hand.

"_Oye_. You figured out what to do?" Said the younger male in a castillan accent.

"Not exactly, but it does provide a clearer picture about the boy. You remember how Vejita had explained that he had been wary of girls since his first few years in school?"

"Yea—the kid was frustrated with figuring out how to interact with them, that he tried using logic to appease the opposite sex. That was hilarious, but I do understand why you made your daughter cross-dress. Seems like retaining a female's mentality places her at a disadvantage and likely prone to falling behind." Vasilis answered, hitting all the criteria necessary which Baddack had thought of when he first decided on that specific demand. However, the logic did incorporate one fatal flaw—and that was something the older male was going to clear up. It only took on glare from the man veteran mercenary to get the general to keep shut.

"When my son—_Kakarotto_—had still been alive, my wife had this crazy idea of making him a "male daughter". Insane and idiotic, I believe you would be thinking, but it was something rather rational coming from her perspective. You see, Marguerite had come from a village in Chapelure where her privileges as a female made her incapable of amounting to anything. Even though she was the sole daughter of her family, who lived in Domrémy. Needless to say, back then I was still under the apprenticeship of this crazed man who knew my father and promised me that he'd teach me everything I'd need to avoid ending up like him. Eventually, I discovered he was just as bad—if not worse—as my father. Marguerite's village was destroyed, and she was the only survivor of all the fifty inhabitants."

Keeping silent, Vasilis cautiously urged the man to continue onwards with the tale.

"She was left with two dead set decisions since that day: to establish a possibility of genders not dictating the value of a person—meaning her status as a female kept the others from taking the warning I gave her seriously—and that males born in a family learn to appreciate feminine traits. She stated that it is what makes one human, and embracing such a part of oneself is a step in the right direction to ensure that a society values one another not because the female is a means to continue a legacy, but because they can ensure the family lineage and traditions do not corrupt themselves or ruin the quality of life for others." He ended, then took his drink and gulped it down, letting out a satisfied sigh as he had finished it. By this time, the elder couple should have reached their son's house, and make good use of the equipment he provided for the boy's training.

"So... Charlotte's rearing? It stems from this... how?"

"I did not want my daughter to believe herself inferior and accept the norm which western society claims is best for women. Their moronic establishment of Feminism bringing equality divides us from finding solutions—especially since that movement just emphasizes on women gaining momentum to protect their rights in a patriarch society. What sort of fools do they think us to believe we can not see that there are issues needed to be addressed, but pushing for it in their method simply exercises selfishness. No; that is not a legacy I want my wife's children to leave behind, acting like a spoiled and intolerant, immature woman. Some claim it is the men who are immature, but the truth of the matter is the west who does not keep them in line; I find it detestable that their lack of involvement is a clever way of sedating their constituents with irrelevant topics. Why do we still argue of issues like that of racism, reproductive rights, or even religion—when technological advances such as placing the man on the moon has been done fifty years ago?"

Vasilis didn't answer. In fact, he remained quiet, reveling with his own peaceful thoughts as he had been during the entirety of the time he had been observing Vejita in his bed, broken from having fought against the enemy who had the capability of killing all of the children. That wasn't to say what Baddack said was true; it was simply irrelevant and unnecessary for them to focus on as the leaders of the world's progress. If anything, all he could provide the older man was quick advice which he received from his late brother on thoughts like these. No one should bother focusing on such debates, since no one from the west would understand by sharing opinions. Sooner or later, they'd realize too late, and try emulating a successful country to kick themselves back into stability—before ending up in a similar situation as they had done so many times before.

"At any case... I believe our _prince_ has been keeping secrets. Secrets from himself, and of himself..."

* * *

"Gramps? Why are you here all of a sudden—WAIT! You're going to fight my dad?"

Johannes snarled at the thought, bringing Taritsu's siblings to giggle at the goofy behavior their paternal grandfather had briefly displayed. The purpose of his visit was to set a few things right between his son and daughter-in-law. "I came to settle a dispute between your parents. Also, this uniform is for you; your grandmother wants to see you outside, Mauricio."

Doing as he was told, Taritsu placed on the uniform and sought out to find his grandmother, only to find himself struggling with what seemed like an oxygen reducing mask.

"What the hell? _Grandmother_!"

"Hello, Hello! Why so glum?" She started with infectious cheer, causing the boy's anger to release as she expected him to say something critical. Though he had been rather estranged with his grandparents (Catalina being the one he spoke to least) she understood that his primary reasoning for such behavior originated from the fact that he couldn't see them at fault for anything. It proved problematic, especially since their carefree attitude was a distraction of his issues. Not that he'd ever say that aloud, but it was something of concern with his lifestyle. Nonetheless, she found the proximity between them too much for his liking, causing him to quickly pull away from her grip once Paula opened the door when she heard him complain.

"Ah, Mauricio does not seem to enjoy how you are handling him." She initially started, ignoring the fact and obvious display of detestation Taritsu had for the mask his grandmother forced on him.

"Hmm? Jotaro? Nonsense!" She boldly proclaimed, arguing that she knew what she was doing. In all seriousness, it was plain and clearly obvious where Sedrick (Riccardo) inherited his attitude from, but the level of childlike wonder and reasoning Catalina exhumed was on a completely different level which Taritsu was used to. Heck, if this was simply a means to compensate for the usual dosage his father gave daily, then he hoped the man would never skip out on it again. "Besides. I know what I'm doing, Paula. Now come with me, _nipote_. We have a busy day ahead of us and it's best we tackle it as early as possible."

"Mrmph mmmrpph mmmrrrmph!"

"Oops. Let's see here." Catalina stated aloud as she corrected the apparatus. "_Hehe_. It's been rather far too long since Jojo last used these. I forgot to adjust them considering you aren't at the age or size he was when he required these. Feel better?"

"Are you trying to kill me, _nonna_!? I can barely breath in this."

"That is a breathing correction apparatus. I suppose it could kill you, if you do not maintain a proper rhythm." Said the woman in a matter-in-fact tone ridiculing the grandchild for his question. "Never mind that though: I'm here to integrate you in a training regimen; I heard of your recent battle, and it seems you need my help. Follow me."

He wanted to refuse, he dearly wished he could, but the fact was—she was right. How could he refuse when he had literally no knowledge on how to defeat someone in the art of Hadou, when his only available master that he knew was rather difficult to find in person! Gouken would certainly not make any appearances in person; not when that man was rather awry of sticking around in societies. Other than that, his default choice was to work with a training regimen he modified from his earlier schedule, but it wouldn't do him much benefit thanks to his messed up stamina. "Err...what exactly do you have in mind, _nonna_? I return to the academy three days from today, meaning January 5th, and it's not something I want to do—seeing as I'd rather check on Vejita and Charlotte's recovery than go to the school."

"Ah, I see. It's better that we get started on the training—that way you can have a rematch and fight for your comrades' behalves. Understand?"

* * *

The clearing having been chosen as one of Catalina's favorite spots back in the old days, both grandmother and grandson had decided the abandoned mountain municipality was the best training ground to draw out his limitations. Most of her exercises intending for his exhaustion, it didn't take much more than ten minutes to get him relying on his knees for support.

'_What a shame. He lost most of his capabilities._' She just couldn't believe that the child whom she thought highly of was practically dying before her very eyes as he tried catching up with her commands. Each time he was close to closing the distance, she kicked off and landed on another high pillar where the boy would try once again to grab the ribbon tied to her wrist and end the first part of training. Rather unorthodox as she had been used to, but she didn't want to expose him to the rest of the strenuous training regimens if he couldn't manage with her test.

"*Hah* *Hah* Nonna. I'm not sure if I can keep this up; wearing this heavy clothing is unfair. How much longer do you intend in making me do this?"

"Hmm. I don't really know yet." Her nonchalant answer made the boy's expectations to plummet once she revealed her unregulated commitment to his training. "Just keep at it a little while longer. I'm sure your progress will finish in satisfying results in no time with 500 kilograms!"

However, time simply was not in the boy's favor as he soon found himself dragging along the path to reach his grandmother, much to her discontent. Seeing as she discovered his limit, all was not lost, but it certainly felt that way for the young Rutabaski.

"Tell me, _nipote_: what's on your mind recently that you keep wondering of your friends?"

"That I'm insane for agreeing to this~."

Catalina clicked her tongue, causing the boy to quiet down and listen to her explanation. "Now, now. Jojo had the same attitude when he was training under my mother's instruction. I thought you would at least endure for love, just as your male family members have." She stated whilst referring to the fact that Sugata had visited Mrs. Zeferi for the herbal remedies that had been useful for Cinna's memories. Her problems were slowly deteriorating thanks to the herbs, but Sugata was cautious on the fact that she'd end up poisoned from over dosage. "Maybe if you are thinking about your girlfriend, then you'd have a motive to achieve with flying colors? Oh, my little Jotaro's leaving the family nest soon."

His silence seemed to have given her a satisfying answer that she craved for as long as she dreamt of being able to see her little boy grow up. Though she never was able to see Sedrick as a young boy, her grandson would at least substitute his position and provide her with giggles as she laughed at his expense. Seeing his violently flushed cheeks did answer a lot of the questions she had in mind.

"I'm just messing with you, _nipote_. You're currently loaded with responsibilities, so I get that you wouldn't to start a family. Jojo's father was the same way before he decided to have his own son. Thirty years between generations... but it was certainly worth it in the end." She told the boy.

However, while she thought his extended silence was disappointment with her behavior, Taritsu was much more intrigued by the information of his great grandfather. Such information was kept away from him by his grandfathers, and his aunt Valeria seemed to have respected the unspoken pact both elder men made in regards to the past. Only now did he realize he had a chance in learning much more about Juliano Marzo.

"Why...that's sort of hard to answer. However, because you have managed to reach this point of the training, then I'll grant you your wish—so long as you eat oranges over the course of your training. Juliano Marzo was a man of great potential; my knowledge on him isn't the best, but I knew from how my mother and father spoke highly of him that he was a great person."

It was true to a fault. Even though Catalina's parents separated due to how their lifestyles conflicted, they still respected one another as the former _Padrone_ had been a friend to both.

"Unfortunately, what I can tell you is that he took to training himself physically, besides acquiring his vast intellect, in effort to handle everything himself as the nation's leader. It was... tragic for Johannes, seeing his father being sacrificed for the sake of public relations. The people had been awry of the Saiyan ethnicity, and in doing his best to keep them from conflicting in an unwanted war, became the target of many special interests. WUSS is a leading group that wishes such a calamity to befall, but after he died and Taro's father was blamed for it... well, you could probably connect everything from there."

Having heard enough of what he wanted and a few more that he didn't specify but worked to illustrate him the situation which haunted his grandfathers, the boy grew appreciative of his grandmother's contribution. Knowing what he wanted was answered and much more, the boy continued with her training instructions, wishing to honor the former _Padrone_ for his lifestyle and sacrifices. '_Later... for now, I should focus on my health than worry about what I should do about Bane._'

For now, he would try his best to learn all he could from his grandmother—had she not become distracted by the nearby restaurant that she remembered being told about from Yanagi. Upon entering the place, they were both subjected to the hospitality laden aura that the business was permeating from its kitchen. It was incredibly soothing to the both of them, that neither had noticed that they were being welcomed by the owner.

"Ah! _Mauri_! How long has it been?"

Taritsu remained transfixed on the woman who had referred to him by that nickname. It had only been said when he was younger, and by a classmate he had almost forgotten. Of course, he allowed it since that classmate literally couldn't be any shyer than even possible, but hearing it from the adult felt too shamelessly teasing. So much in fact, that he did not find words in time to keep his grandmother from questioning the origin.

"Do you... know my _nipote_?"

"Mauricio? Of course; he was friends with my precious little Okra back in when he was in nursery school. She looked up to Mauricio like a child would think of heroes in story books, but they really didn't spend time together as much when he jumped grades altogether." She then leaned closer to whisper private information with the older woman, which wasn't as discrete as Taritsu had wished it had been. He cursed the powerful hearing abilities of his for having been unable to focus on other conversations, but he unfortunately caught up on information that had been basically abandoned in the back of his mind.

.

.

.

_How was it possible that he forgot that another promise was made to someone aside from Euphemia? To think of all possibilities—he ignored that girl..._

"Where are my manners? Welcome to the _Taberna Herencia_. I am your host—Chiara."

* * *

"We're here!" Said the older woman as she brought back her grandchild. The food had been excellent, but the boy became immobile from the heavy training session which his grandmother issued afterwards. Of course, he was also wondering whether or not his grandmother would keep quiet on what Chiara had spoken of about his childhood years, hoping that they wouldn't bring up any of those memories. Frankly, he desired them to remain abandoned, especially since it was dangerously skirting around the time he had that terrible thought as a child.

"M-mom?" He whispered softly, keeping most of his strength stored for movement. His grandmother had loosen up his breathing apparatus, ensuring that Yanagi would not suffer an attack due to how insistent her husband's parents were in conditioning their child. "I'm sorry I put you two against each other, but don't worry about me." He scolded himself while referring to the fact that they had troubles pertaining to the stubborn attitude he exhibited earlier during the challenge with Bane.

With that having been said, Yanagi had decided to make the family know that she was not going to put up with their negligence of the boy's health, surprising the three adults as they had usually taken her words lightly as simply an opinionated matter to construct a better decision that wouldn't end up failing due to their lack of foresight. "As for you, Sedrick: I demand that you stop influencing our boy to emulate your family. Don't think I have no clue of what you've been teaching since he was barely able to walk. Kyousuke has learned many skills, but never once have I objected to them since self-defense was a must. I much prefer he learns proper education and makes himself a future—but that hardly seemed possible since he's been ostracized since childhood... and though I didn't think he saw any interest in religion or politics, I left him under your tutelage. Now he's capable of making his own decisions, but I can't allow him to follow your lineage, Sedrick. KYOUSUKE, I FORBID YOU FROM PARTICIPATING IN—."

"STOP YOUR BITCHING! DAMN."

Taritsu had only shown great displeasure when things had been informal and irrational, which his family had accepted as general knowledge of his displeasure, but for him to have said such insults to his mother was too far. In fact, it was enough to cause Paula in the other room to audibly lose her grip on the plates she had been washing, and the children to refrain from their horseplay.

"Mauricio, apologize to your mother this instant!" Sedrick defended his wife before else would go out of hand. He had been under the assumption the boy had been docile, therefore never needed to have had any talks due to insurgency, but the signs of initial conflict against his parental authority had reared themselves as he disagreed with his mother's demands.

"_Yare Yare_... Mother—your concern is acknowledged, but I can't stick around doing nothing while the others are recovering. Any apology I would give you would most perhaps be ideal, but I can't just expect the mere statement of words to ease your worries. What you meant by what you said wasn't because I am incapable of living a normal life; since I am your son, that makes me the prince of Boruvia by order of inheritance, and it also means that we have certain expectations to uphold as the descendants of Matsui Shiro. I disagree with your decision to make me standby while my father goes off to do his own thing, but I also respect your decision and wish not to participate in the recklessness that is typically associated with the Rutabaski lifestyle." Taritsu answered with insightful finesse to the issues that plagued his mother's concerns.

"Not to cause any arguments, but how would you manage, Mauricio?"

Looking over his grandfather for a brief second, the boy who appeared as a younger version of his grandfather reached his ideal conclusion. It only took a moment for him to realize that there was some leeway for him to serve both parents without straining their relationship. "My friends had suffered the worst of the event because I was too weak to fend for myself. They took injuries—crippling damage—whilst trying to assist me. I failed them as a friend; but I do not intend to transform myself into a warrior simply for revenge, as such behavior does not leave a suitable taste in my tongue." '_No. I wouldn't be satisfied if I resorted to such barbarity. There's also the fact that I caught a glimpse of his face, and he's too familiar to simply kill without questioning anything. His right to have challenged me is one thing, but the way he exhumed an air to himself as knowledgeable to our relationships cause me to remain on edge._'

"Then you realize that what you need to do is dedicate yourself to a disciplinary program." Johannes replied, then pointed towards the adolescent's chest that had been previously heaving from lack of oxygen earlier that same day. "Catalina's test has seemed to have a positive effect on your overall performance, nipote. I've decided to train you for the next ten days—get you prepped for any new challenges that might come your way. For the time being, you must see to it you and your parents agree with this offer. Not everyone can readily agree to Hadou training, nipote. Catalina's was just a fraction of what you can expect from the actual training that will take place starting this wednesday, so make your decision wisely."

Before leaving the three alone for the rest of the day, Catalina patted her grandchild's shoulder, whispering that things were all up to his level of dedication. The fact that she left him the mask was added proof to her claim of him being the one to regulate how his training would actually end up being.

* * *

Alfredo hadn't really thought much of what the young Pioneeri was doing as of lately. He had been under the assumption that the young adult had been resting, but once having answered the door to a miss "Nora Levy" (who emphasized the phrase "no relation" when he processed the statement), he had to recalculate how to address to the visitor that she must leave.

"Oh, but I'm here on behalf of Taritsu Rutabaski's request. He wishes to know how Vejita is faring, so I've arrived to evaluate his injuries."

'_I can't argue with that. Master Bruce specifically told me no doctors should be brought in to avoid any public knowledge of the incident be known, but this young lady has been asked by the Padrone's grandchild__—__HIMSELF__—__to check on Vejita._' "Right this way, miss Levy."

The traveling distance to Vejita's room wasn't much trouble for Nora, but Alfredo had been used to the manners which his employer asked him to follow; such criteria meant he had to show civil considerations, and other house guest offerings which a host would normally provide to their visiting party. All of which he tried did no such thing to deter Nora off of her plans, since she honestly had two things to worry about. One of them having been the familiar behavior which Alfredo unknowingly reminded the young former heiress of, and the other of the possible troubles she may have in treating Vejita Pioneeri for his grave injuries. As they neared the room, neither of the two expected to see an empty bed, but even more disbelieving was the sight of the young adult devoting himself to a training regimen that should have not been done at this point of his recovery.

"Young lord! You shouldn't be out of bed right now; you still lack the ability to walk, and pulling these weights aren't particularly healthy with how strained your musculoskeletal system is!" Alfredo spoke in reference to the adolescent's severe punishment. Being a top percentage combat medic back in his day, he knew what he was talking about, but Vejita was insistent in having his way. Besides that, he wanted to ensure he wouldn't be left behind in the dust—not while the younger male was doing things without the hindrance of injuries.

"Well acknowledged, Alfredo. Yet, as long as I don't cause any strain to my lumbar vertebrae, then I may do as I please." He stated all too confident in his ability to ignore the recommendations for the sake of his health thanks to the knowledge he gained from his father and Taritsu when he explained the theory of their tail. On him was a total of an additional 100kg that would reinforce his body to withstand the pressure he needed before throwing himself under the task of walking again, and by his side just four feet from his reach was the wheelchair which he refused to await obediently in.

Giving in to what had been the wishes of the young Pioneeri, Alfredo excused himself and left the two alone for whatever medical processes Nora would conduct as it was necessary. "Just give me a ring if you need me anytime."

* * *

"How are you feeling, Charlotte?"

The question was earnest and quick to the point, just as she knew the girl sitting next to her bed was in terms to efficiency and formalities. The time of others were far more valuable than her own, and it was deeply disturbing to Charlotte as it reminded her of a simple fact that she wanted to ignore: She was much the same.

Well... in terms of considering others before their own, but Paula's personality revolved around that sort of unspoken philosophy. Charlotte's consideration revolved around an idealized person's happiness, and knowing that they differed like that allowed the younger female to realize how dangerous she actually was. She had a fixation on Taritsu—not of romance or something of the like—but a longing for him. A longing that demanded she capture him now and ensure he wouldn't leave forever.

Essentially: thoughts that weren't her own.

"Great, since another friend of mine visited earlier. How's Taritsu and everyone else?"

Paula wanted to lie that things had gotten better, but she didn't exactly know if the relationship between the parents and child had been restored or further ruined from what she heard earlier that day. However, what she knew of the girl was that bitter and unpleasant news weren't foreign to Charlotte's life. She could handle such situations, and maybe even contribute to the ideal solution. "They seem to be split on different sides. On one hand, _Signore_ Rutabaski wants to train his son, but _Signora_ Rutabaski insists he keeps away."

"Marital arguments, I see. Then... What did Taritsu do?"

"He insulted his mother... having heard enough of her worries." Paula said initially, then retracted from the statement and elaborated further on to the reasoning behind it. "Not that he did it because _Signora_ Rutabaski was a bother; she was blinding herself to the truth of the matter, and Mauricio took that option to inform her of his choice. He didn't take any sides as of yet, but it did feel as if he gotten the two adults to make up after their relationship strained the other day."

Hearing the girl giggle at this news, Paula stopped and reflected on the possible thoughts the younger female may have had. Knowing that this was a serious matter of a family's relationship, she took the dive to see if what the girl was thinking along the lines of correlated with anything sensible.

"Tari has been one to take most of the heat; he's done this since he was little, but never did I expect him to do this with his parents. He must really care if he took such a risk."

'_He cares enough for his friends to challenge authorities, that's for sure._' "Charlotte... I'm curious as to what you feel about Mauricio. Do you... love him, so to speak?"

"Very much. I know that if there were any possibility that I might hinder his freedom, I'd stop myself before that happens. I want him to be happy." She immediately responded, remembering her friend's confessions.

'_What a strange reasoning._' Paula couldn't exactly explain what was going on with the girl; she knew that she was tired, and most likely speaking figuratively, but the addition of the line pertaining to his happiness made her uneasy. Exactly what was wrong with her? '_Well... at least I know for certain that my suspicions are true. In a sense._'

"Well, take care now. Mauricio said he'd visit you later tonight, just after he delivers his birthday gift to Euphemia: that stuffed panda bear. Just don't exert your strength while you wait, okay?" '_This way, if what is wrong with her is THAT, then at least he wouldn't remain in the dark whilst trying to help his dear friend._' Paula reflected as she walked away from the room, flipped her personal notepad decorated with flowers on the cover and jotted down her newest piece of information on the mystery. Hopefully... unrealized possession wasn't what they were really dealing with.

* * *

The morning of January 3rd wasn't a morning that the young heir wanted to spend out in the fields. He much rather spend his day with Euphemia, but his sense of responsibility and devotion to friends and family insisted he do this rather than stay with the girl for her birthday. They deserved his dedicated training for future encounters, so as to avoid conflicts that wold leave him worse off than the other time... and his siblings were pretty irritated at the fact he said such words to their mother the other day. Calling her reasons the thoughts of a bitch didn't help his case, even if he didn't fear the consequences thanks to his recovering memories.

'_Seriously, Bane is awfully too much of a clue. The way he makes it seem like we already met...it just asks that I find out._' He didn't know who the person behind the mask was, but he did decided on asking Paula when he returned from his training's end. Additionally, he made certain to complete the maximum amount of training for Charlotte's sake.

"So you've decided to do this properly, nipote?" Holding with him a thick rope and tire, Johannes boomed. "I'll train you in preparation of the new threat."


	38. Chapter 38

**Arc III**

**Chapter 14**

**Cut-and-Dried (Part 1)**

* * *

What he expected, was not this.

"What the hell is happening to me..." The masked man said to himself as he tried to bring about his hadou manipulation and launch a blast. Though his training was limited to physical techniques, his master did acknowledge that the pupil was a prodigy in learning energy manipulation. For that reason alone, he briefly skimmed the basics and simply went over the theory with him. What Bane knew of his master... was limited to how he favored teaching a student who seemed to gain progress faster and stronger than himself.

"What a fool," spoke the shadowy figure of his master. His return signaled that his errands had been over, but he was also disappointed with what his pupil had done to himself. Mutilation. "What good is exponential power, when all you can do is beat your opponent physically; you shouldn't have taken that dose of their serum!"

"Master Karo! How did it go?" Began the startled pupil as he wished not to impose on the man's personal aura of comfort and style. Though at first glance his appearance was somewhat hidden behind the shadows as that of an enigma, Bane understood that his dining so kept his mind at ease. It was a drawback for his acceptance of the ancient ability of Hadou. The Satsui no Hadou, as he had spoken of it before. Additionally, he didn't dare retort about the serum; doing so would warrant the master an opportunity to teach him via austerity. Besides—he agreed with him about the foolishness.

Realizing that he had lost, Bane had little desire in wanting to fight with him again especially since he showed revulsion and penitence to the alleged sins of his past—and in tempering with his patience—had invoked the fighter's innate ability. There was a gash that existed diagonally on his chest, shaming him for his inability to compete with the better saiyan. '_Damn his power..._'

"My brother has no proper complaints for an argument. He's always been soft on the idea of public relations and interracial alliances. What piffle dreams he holds onto...they weaken you and lower your guard. Until the day comes when you find yourself at the mercy of dishonorable weaklings!" Karo's words emanated towards Bane's ears. He had always informed the young pupil of his rhetoric and ideas, which where rather familiar and resembling of the knowledge Bane had prior to having met the man. However, knowledge of his identity and who he was didn't exist; he knew only of knowledge from a man who was likely his father, a man whose efforts to protect his community was met with severe punishment and death for having suggested a treason to the grandson of Padrone Johannes.

"I wouldn't worry." Karo started speaking up once again. He had met the adolescent as a dying soul whose anger and hatred emanated in his aura—the kind of soul who would benefit from his training and help to improve the art of _Satsui no Hadou_. Of course, he knew not of the adolescent's name, but he dubbed him after the plant found next to him, and left all the others as they held no value to keep alive. "Your training is enough to satisfy me. Seeing how quickly you accepted the values I profess... I believe your father that you've forgotten was an honorable saiyan. He accepted his roots, but they discriminated against him for it."

"Master Karo, but the Saiyans already have Jakarta for their sanction. What else do they need that they are denied of?"

"Already? Do you think those who live at Jakarta are true Saiyans? A Saiyan who can not uphold the code of honor I've taught you is no Saiyan that I would recognize. They wish not to better themselves, and what is the quickest way to learn in life, Bane?"

* * *

"To learn to overcome the challenges one finds in battle. That's a crucial lesson you have to learn, Mauricio."

Past the rolling hills of the countryside, both grandfather and grandson gazed around their environment for the quickest route to the next destination. Satisfied in having found said route, the boy was about to take it—until his grandfather cracked the whip right by his ear to remind him his promise.

"Now, now. Take that path; it's steep and deadly, just like the conditions of the likelihood of victory as your chances currently are."

Mentally groaning at his poor misfortune, Taritsu obliged to the commands and did the best he could to bypass the path. Satisfying the old man with his efforts, they finally made it towards the bottom of the hill, just before the boy became voicing out the concerns of his performance. "Gramps... I'm nearing my limit... how much longer?"

Looking around him, Johannes discovered the fields of nearby farmlands. With a smile curling onto his lips, the elder Rutabaski told his grandson to travel towards the direction of the farm workers, and rest under the shade of a tree nearby. "I'll be right back, Mauricio."

'_Is that so. Please... take your time._' He thought whilst waving his hand in confirmation of the knowledge and collapsed on his knees after the rigorous amount of activity his grandfather forced him to do. At the very least, thanks to the work he had been putting in, his stamina had increased by 50%, but it was still poor and ineffective for an actual fight.

"_El Padrone_! What brings you around?"

Hearing their boss speak so timidly, the nearby workers tensed and stopped what they were doing to attend and salute the nationally accepted leader. Johannes, knowing that such formalities were a common thing among his subordinates, decided to limit the usage. It wasn't due to dislike, but of concern for the time his grandson was getting for his break. The boy needed to continue his training soon, else the first few morning routines wouldn't settle well with what he had in mind next.

"Rodrigo, I've brought along with me Mauricio."

They looked over to see the tired individual resting beneath a plum tree, using what was the tire that carried Johannes around for resting. Definitely not well after the thirty miles they traveled from the palace.

"I was wondering... since you are preparing the fields to plow for this year's harvest, would you mind if you all took a break?"

"Boss, if we do that then what will happen to the soil quality? We're behind schedule already, and there's a demand for the radishes this spring. Restaurants have already filed a total of 500 thousand orders already!"

Rodrigo knew what his employee was saying was sensible and of concern for the future of their harvest, but he couldn't exactly deny a request from the Padrone. This was the very man who his father revered as the family lifesaver, for heaven's sake! There just had to be something he could to to satisfy both interests...

"_Padrone_, why exactly does your grandson require the field? Not that I'm being intentionally rude, but we are supposed to meet a quota for the cultivation festivals, and we don't exactly have the freedom to waste valuable time as you can see by the use of the old plows."

With the question said, Johannes' smile curled into a grin. Somewhat malevolent in appearance, but definitely with mischievous intent for what he had in mind for the boy. "He had gotten in a fight with a saiyan warrior over something I'm not entirely certain of myself."

"Sheesh. And this is his punishment? Seems more like a reward for victory for me." Was the immediate reply of the other worker. This got him reasonable glares from the rest of the group, with a dejected sigh from the old leader as he wished what the man said was true. "Well, unless you're accounting for some flaws in his character, then I guess coming to a farm is great for him to learn his lesson."

"Correct. You have guessed right about the issue I have in mind." Johannes stated, causing the worker's hopes and expectations to arise as he anticipated the possibility of the old man stating his famous catchphrase. It seemed Johannes had known that was what the younger generation expected, but though he found it amusing, he had to act responsibly for his grandson's sake. "Consider this: lend me your plow, and I'll grant you credits for the hours you would have worked otherwise. What's a break going to do harm if I compensate for the opportunity cost?"

'_392 liras for just lending the equipment?_' They were going to accept, but needed to figure out what the wise leader had in mind by the use of the plow. Nonetheless, Rodrigo had caught on with what the Padrone was alluding to. "You have my permission, Padrone. However, isn't the boy restricted by his uniform? It is going to be tough for him to use the tools, but you have my thanks as this allows us to fix the tractors."

"Not to worry. That's part of the training he needs." Johannes answered, then turned around and called out to his grandchild and informed him of his task. Placing the harness on the boy, he informed Taritsu of his next lesson: manual labor.

* * *

Kaede didn't have much of a clue as to where and how her daughter had gotten her hands on that stuffed panda. She didn't even question whether or not her daughter had an issue at her school, considering how at ease she appeared. Stephanie Euphemia was, for once since her youth, happy.

"Euphemia, what a pleasant surprise seeing you cheerful. Have you and Soren gotten along now?"

"Actually—I don't mind Soren, _Okaasan_." Stephanie giggled to herself as she was prepared to reveal her greatest wish come true. Even though he wasn't able to visit her on her birthday, she had the benefit and opportunity to be on the favorable side of her childhood friend's family; thanks to how her sister had leeway for her to easily impress Yanagi Kaido, Stephanie had more than likely impressed and even calcified her chances of their acceptance of her as an in-law.

"Why? Did you figure Soren just needed you to reconsider, Euphemia; he's not really somewhat of a bad choice, especially for your future, dear."

"Oh, I'm not worried about marrying soon."

'_Mature and sensible. Just as I've taught her_.'

"The other day, I had an offer made to me by Kyousuke-kun. Naturally, since the relationship we have is genuine, I accepted it."

'_Okay... now she is scaring me._' Kaede had been against the idea that her daughter enter relationships without her consent. She informed her daughter to steer away from such illicit behavior and was rather concerned of the possible acts the two could have committed. However, her trust in her daughter's judgement and the rest of the family was noble, but she did wonder who it was, since the most she knew of the boy was that he was called Kyousuke. Additionally, she wondered if it were possible if Euphemia would get along with her former friend's son; Yanagi was certainly someone who she would approve of as a parent... even though what happened fifteen years ago contradicted what she believed in about the family honor. '_Well, her child would treat my daughter properly. Jack did tell me that Rutabaski Taritsu was worthy of respect._'

She froze up on the simple thought associated with his name.

Rutabaski... Taritsu Maurice Kyousuke. The boy, according to the knowledge she had on him, treated everyone in a proper manner, and did not see anyone as beneath him. Neither financial or social statuses affected his decisions, nor did the bias implementation of such things ever coincide with his thinking. Her daughter used to explain Kyousuke in the same manner: he did not believe that the background of a person determined who they would be. True, it would reveal how they got to be in the specified position in life, but such a past wasn't what dictated their behavior entirely. That was how Kaede had been impressed by his thinking process—as it had been what motivated her daughter to face obstacles with grand determination. A certain pride that royalty would exhume, but at the same time humbled by certainty of limitations.

'_But are they the same person?_' She needed to figure it out before approving the relationship, but since the boy had been a positive influence on her daughter, she'd allow the two to interact. So long as they kept it strictly at the publicly acceptable conditions for a relationship between a man and a woman. "—And what was that offer?"

"Both of us would collaborate on his work." She replied shortly, satisfied to have such fervor after being given an opportunity to stay close to him after finding out most of his time spent at the academy would be replaced by his duties to the ecology project. "He'll be focusing on the genetics of the project, and I'll be in charge of figuring out what problems to focus on."

"Essentially, an intern?" Kaede muttered, more to herself than to her own daughter. Knowing that she may have been offended by her disappointment, the mother opted to fix the situation by offering a favorable situation for her daughter—and herself. "I'd like to meet Kyousuke-kun someday soon, Euphemia. Why don't you invite him... er, ah. Invite him and his family to the Gala this February."

And as expected, her daughter's smile indicated that she had strucken a great deal.

* * *

"I'm done. Fuck this, man."

Anthony, having asked Henry to follow his lead in figuring out what the hell happened that brought the group trouble, found himself the trouble of convincing the collected male to go through with the idea of auditing Adrian de Folli. He didn't trust that guy, and it didn't help that his suggestion to solve the DAN-000 mystery only received the others a deadly beating.

"Look. I get that you don't trust a collective like the government, but what reason—what motive—does Adrian have that makes him untrustworthy? Can't you just give him the benefit of the doubt, like the others have?"

"If life were that simple, then I'd agree with you Blakes. People are strange: they respond to incentives and do things they know aren't correct because it benefits them in the short run. That's why trickle-down economics exists, and why people don't learn; constant exposure to the political bias of the media conditions them, and it divides us on idiotic little things."

"Opinions matter, though."

"Opinions!? Please! I much prefer educated responses. "_Let's bomb Falyen to get the terrorists to keep out of the Get'ē Delta and keep them from implementing traditional laws!_" That only promotes the success of terrorist recruiting centers, seeing how bigoted and hypocritical Sagratia is perceived with regards to religious freedoms!"

Neither of them spoke afterwards. Not a creak, or a moan, or grunt of frustration with the other's stubborn hold onto their position. All that mattered at that moment was Anthony getting Henry to understand, and Henry getting the younger, unrelenting teen to see things positively. Therefore, he scuffed his collar and referred back to what he had seen the other day when everyone had been caught in the onslaught of Bane.

"I know what I saw, and my eyes didn't play tricks on me, Sparks. Rutabaski was challenged by that mystery fighter, and while the outcome was ambiguous, a person true to the description of the suspect assisted Rutabaski. I understand you won't trust Adrian, but don't throw away considerable evidence just because you're biased of his previous relations with the Sagratian officials."

With a dejected sigh, Anthony finally gave in. He heard enough of what he needed to hear, and he wasn't exactly fond of pushing back on their progress because he had a nagging feeling. Knowing how the Kairnese were, the most likely outcome was that his family was probably divided on what he would be doing for the next couple of days, unless they had decided to place all their resources on challenging the root of the problem. Not possible, as Anthony knew of their decision-making, but certainly plausible with their options available. Instead, they'd probably be focused on recovering the injured victims whilst trying to track down the WUSS base of operations. That would certainly be something they found the need to focus on; it was in fact the very reason why he concluded Henry had information vital to assisting Rutabaski's efforts. "The challenger... have you happened to see what constituted their unfathomable power?"

"My guess would be drugs. I don't know what the heck it is, but my guess is as good as anything; steroids, perhaps."

He nodded, agreeing on that answer, but it wasn't the correct one for what he had in mind with all that was described by Taritsu's earlier message. That enemy he faced literally felt no pain during the battle, and didn't seem deterred at all with his efforts. What Bane most likely done was boosted his stats into the extremes of a juggernaut. "Contact Nora... and Adrian. I've got to tell them the news of this experimental narcotic before it's too late."

* * *

While it was rather pleasant to not hear any of the children's noisily escapades, Sedrick found himself missing the distracting qualities it offered to keep his wife from delving into her persistent melancholy.

'_I really messed up_.' Sedrick tried to come up with a solution to comfort his long-time friend. He loved her, and honestly never really thought of the problems she faced since his vocalized promise he made in the early 90s. Back when he was certain that Yanagi had made her decision to live her life with another, Sedrick tried to keep his mind off the princess by focusing on another, but both his father and Yanagi's insecurities (which she confided with him when they were still in their teens) kept eating at him. He wanted her to be happy, and he didn't see himself as the kind of man to steal another man's fiance. '_Sounds more like a fairy tale, but out of context I'd be seen as a misogynist for stealing Yanagi and eloping with her._'

Indeed, he had seen it as rather cheesy, but in the eyes of his friend, she saw him as her savior and liberator. She had no say, no power, in the situation she was forced into, and Sedrick had almost let her down by avoiding his feelings with uncertainty. Such feelings had assisted him back in the past, but it also cursed him at the current moment as he tried wondering what to do that would bring his wife back to her default state of a domineering royal. Rather pathetic to a testosterone raging male, but to the son of the Kairnese Champion family, she was undeniably light heartening and refreshing after a stressful day's work.

"_Come._" She softly commanded, whilst gracefully addressing him the seat next to her. Yes, definitely the quality of a regal individual, but exclusive only to Sedrick, and he preferred that she acted in such a way that he could confront rather than guess her riddled and restless mind. The glossy lips which had not changed since her youth, nor the cold and icy blue eyes that surprisingly weren't effective on Sedrick in the same manner that it commanded males to confess their feelings; she was, in a descriptive summary of an artisan sculptor, a marble beauty and epitome of the feminine nature!

Seated next to her now, both adults had dared not to speak; Sedrick out of unwillingness to cross his wife, and Yanagi out of shame for having struck her husband indirectly. Eventually... the both of them responded to the pounding silence at once.

"You go first," insisted her husband.

"O-okay," she replied. The clear embarrassment and shyness that uncharacteristically took most of the words away from her pressured Sedrick to say or do something, but he knew his lesson from _waaaay_ before. Instead, he would prefer awaiting for her to feel confident once more; she was—_after all_—a very powerful person in both sense of the words Sedrick recognized.

"_Doumo, Rikkarudo._"

'_Eh?_' His mind raked all around for an answer, all he could do in response to the apology was reveal that he was stricken by confusion. "Yana, you shouldn't—"

"I was an idiot! I'm sorry, but I failed to account for the feelings of our son; he was hurting, and you recognized that he was going to do something irrational. You saved his life, _shujin_; you saved my baby from killing himself in a suicide run."

"Don't say such things, Yana. I was in the wrong for having punched him too. Don't forget: he insulted you with that word!"

"—_I DESERVED IT, SEDRICK!_" She corrected him. The guilt was suffocating her, causing her ironclad sophistication to breakdown and reveal all of her vulnerabilities since she had first decided to trust her husband in enrolling the boy in proper schooling. In the beginning, she had wanted to home school their precious newborn—it was what kept her relaxed in knowing that she had him within eyesight at all times—but Sedrick insisted that she needed to distance herself to keep sane. Not that he didn't hate the fact that their child was going to be away for a certain portion of the day, but he knew that the attachment Yanagi reserved for their first born was overwhelmingly dangerous; the very fact that he remembered seeing the too sleeping on the same bed up till he was four was significant enough for him to be certain that his wife had such insecurities.

"You convinced him to seek an alternative, to seethe his ire into something crucially constructive for his sake, and when he decided in refining himself... I told him he couldn't. I'm a bad mother, and horribly selfish!" She continued to insist as she referred back to the incident where she had been totally against the idea of Taritsu training under his grandparents. Though they had agreed with the training Gouken provided for him when he was younger, that was done whilst he was among the other two—ensuring that nothing serious would take place that would lead to impairments. Now, when he decided to embrace the fact that he needed to do something, to dedicate himself for the uncertainty of the future, she rejected his decision.

"You are not," Sedrick replied while keeping her within his arms and allowing his friend to weep away her plaguing thoughts. While he did agree that there was a certain truth to the matter of what she was saying, Sedrick was more than aware of the powerful bond which cultivated between each generation of the family; a grand respect from child to parent was what Taritsu displayed towards them, as he was certain for he displayed it towards his own parents. If anything, he may have initially been angered that his mother imposed such selfishness, but it was borne of respect and love for his mother. "I'll admit it: the reason our son responded in such a way wasn't because you're a failure. His concern was you straying away from moral duties; he didn't want you to turn your back on it, as we—just as those before us—don't wish to turn our backs on the problems and ignore it. I guess you can say, in a world where it is possible to see with proper dedication and devotion to what is right, he dislikes the blind leading the blind."

They remained still, wishing not to interrupt the moment of openness which had been far too long since they last been like this of their feelings. To Sedrick, the feeling was like taking him by the jaw and thrashing his body against the ground whenever he saw her so vulnerable. He did not like it, nor did she enjoy keeping a false sense of security, but the reality was that deep down, she craved for his affection and presence.

*_Gasp_* "Sedrick!"

"Sorry. You're just really, really intoxicating."

"I'd like to amuse you, but I'm in no mood for _that_."

Instead of allowing her to slip away from his grasp, he continued insisting that she stay with him for a while longer. He was being cautious of her wants and desires, but her having basically denied his which had been a natural response... well, he just really didn't know why she needed to be away. "Good. I didn't expect the feeling to be mutual after this; allow me to convince you, Yana."

* * *

Hearing the televised broadcast programs in the background as he awaited for his grandson to head back after his 150th lap, Johannes just couldn't help but find the news that the farm workers were listening to interesting.

{...Strange creatures reported from all over the eastern hemisphere of the Kairnese Continent, Chapelurean borders, and even rumors of similar sightings showing up in the rest of the eastern continents.}

"Hey, boss. Wasn't _El Padrone_ in charge of things like this in the past?"

"Quiet, _idiota_!" Rodrigo urged as he eyed the senior fighter. Though he appeared weak and unpolished, no one in the current age dared to get on the nerves of the man who defeated the Ultimate Life Form that had been the Euric Devil: Motas. Some said that on the day of that victory, Johannes had a glow that made him resemble the descriptions from the old tales of legends, but even had that not been true, fighting him would essentially be signing a death sentence.

"I used to, around the start of the seventies, but that was only to finish something that had been a long time feud between our people and the Euric Devils." Came the voice of Johannes as he surprised all who were worried of him feeling insulted.

Seeing them worried for their lives, he simply chuckled and sighed at the feeling of homeliness which he hadn't felt in so long since... well, his youthful years!

"To be frank with you all, the involvement which I've been in isn't particularly exclusive to just me and my family. True, you may argue it's always been the Rutabaski lineage that has been leading you all, but we are mostly all just cultivators of a society which we come to know as our friends, lovers, rivals, mentors, students, and all because we strive for a future in which the progeny will succeed what couldn't be done in our lifetime. That is why in our country, my forefathers have been referred to as _Padrone_, rather than Lord, King, Monarch, Despot, or Emperor."

"Like a luminary!" Jeered one of the men.

"Yes, essentially, but there are those throughout the world who insist otherwise. Tall Poppy Syndrome—ever heard of it?"

Some of them were going to answer, but they really hadn't much clue whether or not the question was genuine or simply rhetoric for Johannes to segway into another important idea.

"A social phenomenon in which people of genuine merit are resented, attacked, cut down, or criticized because their talents or achievements elevate them above or distinguish them from their peers. This is similar to begrudgery, the resentment or envy of the success of a peer, essentially as that of what you'd expect from someone wishing ill-will against another because of their victories. People like this are seen everywhere, as I'm sure some of you have felt this on either side of the phenomenon at some point or another."

"Hey, gramps. I finished plowing the fields, so all that's left is sowing the radish seeds. Where are those anyway?"

"I'll lead you to them," volunteered Rodrigo as he had an idea of what the old leader wanted to do with his grandson. It would only take the boy a few minutes for him to finish the job in his current condition, but knowing that the addition of his uniform held the purpose to add greater obstacles which demanded for one to overcome it... well, the basic commodities Rodrigo could provide was an incentive if he was able to complete the job whilst having to trouble himself with dodging projectiles shot at him. Quite like how Johannes had described his old training from his prime years.

"As I was saying though... people resent others and because of this... they do not all agree with your views of our preferences. Our second greatest "King" as according to the people of a revolutionized Kairne, had been offered the position as the supreme ruler of the people. He denied it, for he knew that people are strange. Some don't think rationally, and their idiosyncrasies affect behavior in a society, placing strain in a system based on the idea of a democracy. No where does it seem ideal to the greatest minds of the age of enlightenment; Bejita Pioneeri, Rotto Valogna, Fenn Rutabaski, Kohl Arrübe, Aiwa Anzo, Juan Rivíera, and many others who had been fundamentally part of the revolution all knew that as a group this would end up failing a society thanks to an inflexible governing system. This was why they had created a living document of the people's consent—the social contract which binds us together—and left the role of the model citizen to Rutabaski Xetsu, and he dubbed his title _Padrone_—as he protected the idea of the people's chance to better themselves. Only through him, does the wisdom of following such rational, working ideas and solutions, does the people understand that it is better to act and better ourselves, rather than expect knowledge and decisions be made by someone else. It may seem pessimistic, but the effects of the age of enlightenment has not left us since it was first conceived, and neither has our nation suffered much from the issues that plague all others. Compared to my predecessors... I feel—I see myself... as a failure."

Having heard him doubt his own abilities, the listening audience of workers quickly huddled around to comfort their wise old leader, knowing that it wouldn't do them any good to simply stand around to allow the man feel doubtful and depressed. Besides, they had a lot of respect for the current_ Padrone_, as it had been his consideration that they had avoided and prospered since his acceptance of the duties without facing opposition or dealing with the austerity of an impending civil war since the seventies.

"Padrone, I understand what you mean, but I believe that comparing yourself to the past is unreliable. Why else, but to exceed expectations of society around you, would you try as to please everyone? The protector which you are is just another idea; you aren't a person of grand importance because of a title, but because you inspire others." Stated one.

"True. As is the fact that your inspiration allows everyone to free themselves from the shackles of their imprisonment of conformity. I really love this nation, not because we are better than everyone else, but because it allows us to be free, act free; why, you can even argue that this land is the land of the children of our Elders. Celia, Zeta, Kalote, Seiya. Heck—I wouldn't be surprised if your lineage was secretly that of a fifth Elder in itself!" Joked another as he joined in to cheering up the old man.

Johannes found their helpful support pleasurable; it was just as he had hoped since he was a boy, mesmerized by the faith his father had of the people whom he entrusted his life's work to. Even if there were rejections, he would at least see that he had an effect on improving the lives of others, and they would be grateful for his existence and intent.

"Well then, I must see to it that my grandson finishes his training. I am getting rather old for this occupation, and I yield little worth as a fighter these days. I am also glad that you have not been like those few who seek comfort in abusing my grandson for his "difference" due to his sketchy origin. I'll be honest and say that I had been intrigued by the possibility of it being true itself, but my grandson's inspiring devotion to seeking out the truth and exposing implausibilities that blind us as a reassurance that it was simply a tale that merely provided an arbitrary number." He finished, before allowing them to continue on with their lives, uplifted by the reciprocal gratitude which their leader showed to them.

Indeed, it was thanks to the inspiring influences of the Rutabaski family that their futures would not be betrayed by a broken societal system logic. Only now, they found themselves feeling uncertain as to what Taritsu would plan on doing since he had no real goal in mind for taking up the role in the future. Hopefully no one would try opposing everything they stood for.

"Saiyan scapegoating is incredibly destructive." They all nodded in agreement.

* * *

"What the?"

He had little clue as to why his grandfather had told him it was necessary to have skipped out on his afternoon meal. He was also wondering what duties his grandfather had to place on hold to train him for the day. Except now, he was granted an answer which he hadn't place much thought into the likeliness of.

Who he saw at the study where his grandfather would keep his personal readings was the daughter of Ambassador Tepelny, reading what was some of the books which he himself was told he could not read!

'_Talk about rethinking one's decisions._' He thought his grandfather had done something unfair, giving her the preference of reading the literature he was so interested in himself, but the sight and reminding thoughts of the ever sweet Karalynne reinforced a wave of calmness to coax him as malleable in her presence. Her diabetes inducing aura brought him back into a realm of relaxation which one would interpret as the experience of heaven on earth, but a certain person reminded him that such things did not last long.

"Don't interrupt Karalynne, worm."

"Worm? The hell—argh!"

The accompanying attendant of Karalynne, Aila, smirked as she had gotten the boy within her grasp, holding him in a lock as he had no stamina left to evade the grapple. What she was curious of was the manner of which he seemed to will himself out of her grip by focusing everything in his mind, as one would do so whenever they were in a conflict with whether or not to insult a person who really irritated them.

"Release my grandchild, Kimse."

Hearing the authoritative voice coming from his grandmother brought a chill down his spine, but in addition to the expected effects of hearing what he had never expected... he found himself wondering what had ever happened to his abilities. '_Slowed Time Perception—weren't I a wielder of such an ability?_'

"Sorry, Signora Rutabaski. He was just, vulnera—."

"I understand your reasons too. Johannes and I couldn't keep our hands off each other, but if you are going to be doing this, please do it behind closed doors."

That immediately caused her to push away from the boy as she tried to avoid the ever growing embarrassment which the elder woman had forced her to deny. Served her right for having resorted to insulting the kid and teasing him for his inability to handle the first day of training as other people would normally embrace. Then again, Aila was under the assumption that his training was like any other normal regimen, which in itself was a grave mistake for what Catalina had to continue onwards from with.

With her having leaned in close to whisper the phrase in the girl's ears, Taritsu found it impressive, but also strange as to why the girl had suddenly landed a quick succession of blows onto his shoulder and left in a hurry—all while reciting the pledge she made when to Karalynne's father. Well, there was nothing wrong with devoting oneself to keeping away from indulging in distractions while on duty, but it seemed rather irrelevant to what was happening now.

"I'm not going to push on what that was about, but Karalynne reading in _nonno_'s study confuses me."

Her placing the bookmark at the current page she was at as she had been interpreting the readings, the girl in question took her eyes away from the high pile of books that were just in front of her and changed her usual smile of which the boy associated with her angelic demeanor into a solemnly grim one. The news that she was about to deliver wasn't easy to digest, but then again, how could it be?

"I've got something to tell you. About this _Bane _fighter."


	39. Chapter 39

**Arc III**

**Chapter 15**

**Cut and Dried (Part 2)**

* * *

Was she serious just now?

"Are you alright, _sweety_?"

"Yes," he calmly answered her. '_According to the diary, it seems that she and I are engaged, but only to keep a political farce up for her sake._' He recalled having read the information that was written in Xetsu's book, but was deeply disturbed as it was rude for someone to have added information inside property like that. Had it been a codex, then maybe that would have been acceptable, but this was someone else's property!

Since his first day of training was technically over, he didn't need to rush over the details as he'd do had it been another time. He was also starving, but that could wait since she too had been affected by the news of his defeat. It seemed to have renewed a sense of bravery in those few who aspired to gain power, and especially to those that apparently sought her out because of her lineage had the desired traits for warriors. Disgusting that they wanted to use the angelic Karalynne to terrorize and achieve control of a vast majority of authority. "He wanted to fight, and I refused him due to my priorities of that day. Then he insulted my family because of the justification of a code of honor he kept referring to. _This is a Saiyan's battlefield, and it is a sacrament that they fight one as strong, if not stronger than themselves_—at least, he said so."

She considered the words. It was true, and vaguely recognized in the modernized society of Jakarta as the majority of the population appreciated the old traditions, but such traditions were also modified to accommodate for the changing times. No one would engage in battle just because they wished to fight someone just as strong as themselves these days. Unless their reason involved having a grudge or seeking a friendly spar, then perhaps it'd be plausible, but the account she had on the situation was that her "_fiance_" and his comrades had been slaughtered in a one-sided battle with little to no reason necessary. A barbaric case of primitive societal norms that had the Saiyan culture Karalynne knew of, but satisfying in its reason for having engaged in it.

"Wasn't there anything else you can reveal? This would have been easier had he not worn a mask, then I could have gotten you a facial recognition on the perpetrator."

Hearing her say such things reminded the boy of a vital clue which he had been fortunate enough to catch his eye on. "I had blasted him with a hadouken later into the fight, but the most it did was partially reveal his face. While he wasn't perturbed by my actions, he was bothered by the fact that two of my friends jumped in afterwards to draw him away from me momentarily. He called it a bold move for people who knew that they shouldn't have interfered in battle; I'm confused as to how he can say things worthy of respect, but behave in such a way that reflects reluctance. Apparently honor seems to be something he held in high regards, but I really don't understand what that had to do with anything of his purpose for the fight."

This immediately satisfied the girl's racking mind as she heard enough to piece together what was needed.

"Taritsu. I'll get straight to the point with what you should know. The whole entirety of everyone globally is that we're technically all Saiyans. However, ethnically speaking, that's a term given to those who display such qualities like energy manipulation, fighting proficiency, and overall better physiology. These have been present within our genetics since the beginning of our civilization, but the fact is that they call people from the east Saiyans because of what the ancient Sagratians did when they tried colonizing Kairne. Back then the western coast was referred as _Caniformia_, where being descendants of such savage lands has instilled an idea that we're different. The honest truth is that everyone is barbaric, just as they are all civilized. To a degree."

'_What exactly does she mean by this?_'

"What I'm trying to say is that Kairne is being generalized; we have been originally a continent filled with dozens of tribes, which soon transitioned into a mutually codependent confederation. Later on, it was decided that the tribes worked best with a leader who understood all of their tribes, someone who bridged everyone without being biased—thus they made Firanze de Lupo their Emperor. That's not what I want to talk about, but you do need to understand that the possibility of a civil war exists in Kairne... and your grandfather asked me to help you understand everything you need to know about the Saiyan who challenged you." Karalynne said, pulling a seat out for the boy and telling him to sit down. "Just so you know, what you are dealing with here is a fighter whose philosophy is_ Social Darwinism_. But before we go on to speak about strategies—how's your memory of self been?"

"Returning—but... I'm still fuzzy about my younger years."

* * *

To argue with his younger sister was a great way to pass the time and hone his skills for debating. To have had that argument while she had been siding with their father on the terms of whether or not their brother was right to have called their mother a bitch was another issue in its entirety.

He had no clue as to why his sister had been offended by his denial of taking a stance against him, but Alexander knew that his sister's refusal to come home with him was due part to his views. She just couldn't stay out past her curfew, and neither would he want to bother their parents over a trivial issue like this. The best option he had was to confide in his adopted sister, but that was something he just couldn't bear to do.

How dare he degrade himself to think of Paula as a solution! Had it not been for her brother, then they wouldn't have had to dealt with their elder brother's mental change.

'_Great. Now by trying to defend fratello, I've messed up with sorellina._' He cursed his luck while fixing his school clothes and unbuttoning it as he found it comfortable having the upper half of it pinned aside from his chest. Honestly he had no idea how his brother could tolerate such a terrible fashion design especially since it was tight around the torso, but he probably didn't say a word of it to keep their mother appeased. Then again, he did seem nervous in an old photo in which he wore the exact same uniform back when he gotten accepted into a university at seven years of age. Definitely enough time for him to keep silent about complaining of that outfit, but he was likely much more nervous about how the people would view him—seeing as he had his left hand holding his gut and the right at the collar of his uniform while trying to shy his eyes away from the camera with the aid of the old cap it came along with.

'_Nah. Madre wouldn't have picked something so terrible because of appearances; she respected fratello enough to give him something comfortable, so the problem with this is likely due to it shrinking._'

Yes, that was more likely—but still! Someday he'd purchase himself a better school uniform when he'd get the chance to head out to the city; for now, he needed to find his little sister.

"Alexander!" Greeted the group of girls who would usually allow his sister to join in their games. If he knew one thing about them, it was that they were really great people to stick around, and were rather supportive of their inner circle if they were feeling down. While it was a noble thing to do, it was also the origin of his doom as the way they called out to him just emanated a fury he had yet to face. Their wrath to be expected, he quickly froze in place and placed his hands in front of his face as he had inherited the terrible trait of posing in shock from his father.

"Why did you hurt your sister like that? What you said hurt her."

"I never intended to do such a thing. Why would you think me capable of harming my sister?"

It seemed that they didn't believe him, but then again they wouldn't believe him. These were the girls known simply as _Passione_, and they were stated to be violently protective of their friends. Or at least that was what Alexander had on them from what he could inquire from previous interactions and conversations with his sister. "Nonetheless, it doesn't excuse you, _idiota_!"

'_Heh. Like they're one to talk._' "So what about you? You make fun of my sister by the manner of which she embraces her heritage. I only—." He swallowed his pride, seeing them seething with anger for having been called out openly like that. He was fortunate that there had still been adults around in the streets and stores, or else he would have found himself with a black eye and broken teeth. For girls, they were awfully rowdy and aggressive. Well, his grandmother was said to have fought alongside their grandfather, so go figure. "Tch. I have no time to waste in _Tavecchio_ arguing with girls, when the person I really should be apologizing to is my sister. See ya 'round."

He immediately ran off without missing a beat of his intentions, knowing that they were much faster than they appeared. Had he stuck around for a second longer, then they may have landed a few blows on him, but that wouldn't be possible; his father and mother were said to be members of a peak condition group, so he was more than ready to have evaded if he had to.

'_The bus will be leaving soon, and I still haven't found her. I am so screwed if I lost her._'

As if it were fate, he had bumped into a girl with blonde curls. Stranger still, it was apparently a wig for a seven year old. His sister's wig.

"_Sore—llina?_"

"I don't know who you are, so don't talk to me as if you know me." She coldly told him. However, even if this person (whom he knew for a certain fact was indeed his sister) told him to leave, he would not relent until he made certain that she return home with him. At times like this it seemed that only Paula could help out, but Alexander would not give in to her assistance. His pride wouldn't allow it.

"GioGio, is he harassing you?"

His eyes widened hearing the confirmation of her actually telling the truth of not being his sister, but fear soon overtook his rational thinking mind as he found himself surrounded by the girls he had just ditched behind. Not only that, but they were also in an alley, with no sign of authority to assist him at all. If there was anything he was sure about, it was that he knew for a fact that girls held priorities rather differently than guys; the irrationality gap was higher in females, according to what his brother told him of how to interact with them if needed. Knowing the tactics he taught him in case he was ever in a bind, Alexander tried to take the initiative, but found himself too frightened by the horrible possibilities the girls might do to him. Perhaps if he was lucky, they might just bruise him and leave his clothing alone—then he wouldn't need to suffer his mother's wrath when she found out.

'_Who am I fooling? I'm gonna die._'

"I actually bumped into him by mistake, Buccellati." Stated the blonde whom he had sworn was his sister in disguise. The sound of her Boruvian accent wasn't present, as it would usually interfere whenever she spoke in their father's language, so it couldn't have been Aliya. "_Scusa, ragazzo._ You stated you were looking for your sister? Did she have dark hair, like the color of ink?"

He didn't say anything, but did what he could to tell this "GioGio" that she was correct.

"Try looking for her at the park. I believe I saw her heading that way, and it is a rather nice place to sleep and laze around." GioGio stated, allowing a bit of emphasis on the specifics of her answer. It seemed almost as if the person who he had previously been in an squabble felt his distress and lent a hand out of pity. Additionally, the answer was eerily similar to what his brother had stated of that park before. As if GioGio knew more than she let on.

"You can at least thank her, _bastardo_!"

"Ah! _Grazie._" He meekly let out, then left in a hurry as he had no time to waste. While some of the members did not seem satisfied with the rapid, and most likely half-ass gratitude, GioGio was apparently pleased for her own reason. Due to that reason, she told them to refrain from attacking the boy while his back was turn.

"You really are someone else, _GioGio_. Are you certain that this is necessary?"

"Yeah," she started, then seeing Alexander was well out of earshot, allowed herself to indulge in a giggling fit and took off the wig she wore. It may have been a cruel joke to have played, but her brother had shown a genuine concern to have stayed his ground and leave himself open for the sake of finding her.

* * *

The fifth day of having started his training, and he had yet to actually gain something he found beneficial for his health. While he didn't mind having to climb certain buildings or conduct mundane tasks that people would normally do, his grandfather had apparently required that he have with him weighted clothing at all times.

Today, he seemed to have a break from all that. Though it would depend on his interpretation of the situation he was currently in.

"Come on, you can do it, _nipote_. I even took the liberty in taking away all the weights you needed to wear."

He took a look at the water before him, appearing rather... different than what he was used to seeing. He was tempted to enter it, but the dim glow it was emitting discouraged him, especially since he considered all the possible creatures that could be inside of the lake. There definitely was something strange going on if his grandfather told him he wasn't needing the weights.

"You aren't going to prank me by keeping the fact that piranhas infest the entirety of this lake hidden, are you?"

"No. Why in the world would I do something as cruel as that? I don't want to kill my precious grandson."

That eased him, but reconsidered all the times his grandfather had snapped a whip by his head, had him dodge projectiles, and the unfair close quarters combat he had with Aila. It was easy to feel skeptical of his actions, especially since it seemed too good to be true. Instead, due to having sensed the boy's uneasiness, Johannes entered the lake first, and continued entering it until he was up to his knees. "See. Nothing to it. Join in."

Still, he was skeptical of the water, but trusting the old man, Taritsu entered regardless of his concerns.

"I guess this is fine. Feels great actually. But why did we have to travel so far just to come to a lake so far out h—_YARGH!_"

The sudden splat onto the lake surface shocked him into a state of panic. Feeling the sensation before when he was younger, he tried to battle his way out by swimming to safety, but as he struggled against the waters, the density which he was facing was uncomfortable and damaging to his muscles and tendons. It was as if he were being mauled once again by Bane, but instead of his actions bringing him back to safety, it simply worsen the state of damage he was taking as the waters continued to break him during his struggle.

"CALM YOURSELF, MAURICIO! YOU'LL DROWN IF YOU DON'T!"

He had wondered how exactly his grandfather tossed him into the waters, without actually touching him. Though his thoughts between the possibility of dying and his anger for his grandfather were popular, Taritsu instead chose to focus on one goal—to survive.

"OKAY. MAYBE TAKING THIS OPPOSITION OF DROWNING BY SWIMMING TO SAFETY IS THE LOGICAL THING YOU HAVE IN MIND, BUT YOU WON'T LAST LONG BY DOING THAT."

'_THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I'LL DEFINITELY SURVIVE!_' He thought to himself before suffering the effects of cramps overtaking his arms and legs. Soon he felt the fear overtake his mind, and with it, the sense of fright which he had long since believed had left his childhood mind when he was little. The time when Taritsu and his father had gone off together to teach him how to ride a bike had ended rather abruptly when he almost drowned in that lake. Yet as the blood seemed to take over his vision, he felt the waters miraculously depart thanks to his grandfather's efforts.

"Hadou can manipulate water in various forms. I told you not to worry, Mauricio."

"ARE YOU CRAZY? I COULD HAVE DIED HERE!"

"You weren't going to die anyway, _nipote_; I manipulated the lake's density. If anything you would have floated on top, but because you happened to struggle, then you increased the chances of drowning." Johannes stated as he explained what he did. "Anyway. You have benefited from this at the very least, so all isn't without failure for this test. You did manage to endure a beating of mine, which would technically leave any unfortunate opponent unconscious. Come now. Get yourself dried as we still have five days left until the training is over. Also, Aila Kimse wants to talk with you when we return, though I am not sure as to why."

* * *

Seven days from having visited the Pioneeri household and Nora still hadn't any answers as to why Vejita seemed to have a better time recovering that what she had projected in her calculations. All the training he did should have been destructive, not constructive, but it worked. She was frustrated about how that was possible, yet also curious of what her findings had to do with what Anthony Sparks had called her in for their meeting.

"Muscle building."

"Wait. What do you mean by that, Sparks?"

She knew what he meant. She saw it happening herself; while observing Vejita, there were signs of hypertrophy taking place, replacing and ensuring that his cells wouldn't be damaged as heavily the next time he got in a fight. However, Anthony's usage of the word was to help Henry understand that it was a concept that he should have known—for he was a living example himself!

"Henry, mind sharing what you know about your parents, and the reason why you're... well, how you are?"

He smiled in respond to Nora's request, then got right to explaining how he became this way. It wasn't a backstory that had been strange or part of a conspiracy. It sounded rather noble, but the apparent reasons for his exact memory as to how he ended up with such physical power... had been due to an attempt to save his life as a child. In what seemed to be the result of Mr. and Mrs. Blakes' research on the Myostatin gene, they had found a useful balance by isolating the defects of muscular dystrophy, which soon made it possible for a person to recover from physical ailments. What it ended up doing to Henry, as he was a candidate in need of the procedure, was not only cure his devastatingly chronic disease, but also grant him a slight affinity to bioelectromagneticism as a side-effect.

"They written down their work and left it for the Director, but he's unwilling to share the documents with any scientists for risk of the information getting in the hands of someone working for the wrong agenda."

Nora soon figured what Sparks had theorized. The Myostatin gene existed but had been capped to prevent it from going out of hand in people. There were rare, select few who naturally benefited the same way as Henry had, but that wasn't as watered-downed as his, nor had it been as broken as his. The difference, from what she had seen with Vejita (and Taritsu) was that Henry was in a constant state of invulnerability to damage, but he tired quickly. Neither Taritsu or Vejita had such an trait, but they were able to benefit from huge power bursts. As for what information she had on the challenger that took down everyone with little to no effort—he seemed to have been both invulnerable to damage _AND_ constantly having the power bursts at his disposal! Not to mention that mysterious power up effect he had near the end, but with what information she had, if they were to face and need to defeat such an opponent, taking him out in the very beginning would seem to be the most obvious way to victory.

"I'm still confused though." Henry began, bringing both thinkers to take notice of his insight. "If he wanted to fight Rutabaski so badly, why necessarily ask him to go all out if he was obviously stronger. He knew that he was stronger than him, but why such torment? I honestly don't see why he needed to demand such of him... unless, there was something Rutabaski was holding back on."

* * *

'_This place is a wreck._'

He had not imagined that when Aila informed him of the place, that it would be so musty and unkempt. The place seemed to have been entered several times before as according to the numerous misplaced furniture and accessories that no one would simply leave laying around, and there was of course the simple kitchen and bedrooms he needed to look throughout for clues.

At least one good thing about the place was that it was a two bedroom, one kitchen sized home. It was also relatively close to the Irayne Providence, but Taritsu was more thankful of the fact the place had been closed off to avoid burglary, rather than it being sold or demolished. Then again, he did get the information of this location through Vasilis Pioneeri, and it was based on the records of a geezer's landlord papers. Apparently, he had been giving people homes, and allowing them to live with relatively low rent—in return for certain favors. He was eventually found out and suffered a penalty, and the residents here had allegedly moved out.

"What are ye doin' in my property?"

'_That must be that geezer_.'

Making sure not to invoke aggression from the man, Taritsu turned slowly and rested on his knees to show he was merely investigating. Fortunately he had his mental training, because if he hadn't, the sight of the 12 Gauge would have certainly made him panic and botch the mission, if not end his life. '_Thanks Gramps. Owe you one._'

"Just a detective here. I've been told some lad used to live in this residence. Ever seen a boy of about five or six years, jet black hair and heavily dark eyes? I'm also probably being too careless here, but the assumption was that he had unkempt hair that measured just past his shoulders. He lived here."

The old man lowered his weapon, having been pacified by the memory that description uncovered. He apparently smiled at Taritsu, but what reason exactly, the boy did not want to know the exact specifics. "Yeah. That was Cassava's boy. The kid was mute, but he was rather disturbed by what was happening to his mother. She was a hardworking woman, never complained and paid her rent on time and even cleaned up the community. No one asked her to do it, but it seems she had a dedication to uplift the people's morale; lovely woman, shame her deadbeat husband worked her to the bone and left her without support. Then again, had it been me I would have kept an eye on her to make sure she wasn't harassed by them scumbags who wanted a lay with the missus. I for one was just satisfied with her welcoming me home, rather than getting an eyeful."

"Really great to know, Mr.—"

"Galapos." He answered, but then lowered his shades to reveal his eyes full of deadly, warning fury while being ignorant of the sarcasm. "Many a man make the mistake of calling me after the tortoise. Don't try cracking a joke and be the twelfth I beat in a standoff."

"I won't. I'm just glad we aren't on the wrong foot." Taritsu replied, then raised himself onto his knee and asked permission to take a seat on the sofa. "Do you have time to spare? I'd appreciate knowing more of what you know about the family."

Sighing, the old man sat and laid his gun against the arm rest. Looking over the boy once more with a better inspection of his appearance, his eyes narrowed, then relaxed as he assumed what he thought couldn't possibly be true. "Missus Cassava first came here in refuge of her husband. Said he had been beating her and telling the young'n tales of demons—she didn't want her children to grow up seeing that be the norm. I felt pity, especially since this was a woman who had been terrorized by her husband—a supposedly respected general—and mistreated as a treasure of a woman. At first, I gave her a low rent offer, but she decided not to take it since it wouldn't be right; she wanted her boy to see with his own eyes what good ol' hard work was worth, so she paid the normal rate and kept a sense of dignity."

"Seems accurately like my father's attitude. He always told me that hard work doesn't betray any."

"Wise man, but it isn't always so." Galapos dejectedly stated.

"One day, around the middle of the year of 1995, Cassava was found by the bastard and he beat her unconscious. The damage was done, and she was tormented by him. Now, I guess other men would have called me a fool for having done so, but I reported the bastard and that kept him away by court law which also led to my arrest. Eventually, I was released thanks to Cassava paying the fine, despite telling her to keep it for herself, but I was too late. The woman had worked so much, that her body couldn't keep up; she ended up dying from bronchitis."

"How horrible. I suppose her children were affected negatively by this?"

"I would believe so, but Cassava was one to encourage good will. She told both her children to have faith, and that if they ever run into troubles that there always is a way to manage without losing dignity. A great lesson in pride, and I guess she did end up being happy in the end." Galapos added. Seeking a photo he had stored in the furniture drawers, he revealed what was shocking images. "This here on the right is a family photo of the woman and her children. The boy there's named Brolli, and the child next to him is his sister—Paula."

He committed the photo to memory, noticing how rather melancholic yet prideful their mother was. She had a bright red ribbon in her hair, and most likely had been someone who had to burden herself with all the troubles of the unjust world. Had it been his own mother, then he wouldn't know how he'd end up.

'_No wonder Brolli had gone mad._' He recalled how the adolescent rambled on about things being his fault for what happened to their family. However, he wanted to know what the other photo was about.

"Cassava never revealed to me who these people were. My guess is that they were her father and brother." He took a closer look on the images of the men in the photo and then at Taritsu. He then realized who he was and why he seemed familiar. Galapos then confronted the boy, initially calmed, but then enraged as he saw the boy stuff something in his pockets. "Ye're part of the Rutabaski family? Yer family abandoned this pure soul out in the world and continued living on in ignorance of her suffering?"

"Had they known they would have done something sooner!"

"Yer family rarely involves themselves to help out the poor. They're concerned with superficial things, no different from the elite. Don't lie to me; yer father even married that princess—Yanagi Kaido. He even killed her fiance to get her!"

"Don't you talk about it as if you knew what had been going on!" Taritsu instantly burst out in rage. That resulted in the old man grabbing his gun and aiming over at the boy as he threatened him of shooting.

"Git outta my property, rich boy. You damn fancy faggots screw over the people with yer ideals of peace and prosperity, yet leave those loyal to them in the dust."

He stood there unfazed, only thinking of what the man was saying. True, it may have been an unintentional thing that they may have done, but Taritsu had never known of someone named Cassava from either his father or grandfather. He was also concerned with what he said, because it revealed just how technically correct his opposers were in calling him a demon. Had he been ruthless, he may have gotten angry with that accusation, but he instead left the premises without an additional word and reminded himself to confront his adopted sister of what he found out, seeing as that would keep his mind off the unwanted dark thoughts.

'_Besides—she might know something that may ease my thoughts. I have to give Adrian a book filled with my instructions, so it should justify my priorities over those responsibilities._'

* * *

"That was rather mean, Aliya. You shouldn't have lied to your brother like that."

Charlotte lectured the younger girl as she and her brother had traveled over to keep her company, as well as within the safety of the household. Their parents were called over to join Vasilis for a military defense meeting on the prospect of what to do about the WUSS organization, as so far their progress had been limited to what they had available with the EASY representatives.

"He's the one who sided with Onii-sama after he insulted Okaasan. That means he deserved what he got."

"So you don't care if something bad actually happened to him?"

She was going to retort, but Aliya instead silently listened on with the conversation taking place just on the other side of the door. She didn't actually believe he would have returned so early, but it was apparently the truth as he was in the other room, lazing about instead of completing the last two days. Part of her wanted to go up to him and punch him for all she was worth, but another deeply respected him that she stopped herself from doing that.

{"_So you don't recall her name? Do you at least remember that she tied her hair?_"}

{"_I'm sorry, but my mom never spoke about her past. Everyone called her Luca, and my father never spoke of her in good terms. I do remember a red ribbon._"}

There was a pause for while. In that pause, Taritsu was contemplating whether or not what he found out was favorable. When Aila's investigation on Bane's facial features coincided with Brolli when he was caught on the wildlife reservation cameras, Taritsu had went out of his way to see how his childhood home conditions had been. It all indicated that their father was at fault. But why?

"Now, now. Eavesdropping on Taritsu is rude, Aliya. Have you not realize what you're doing is wrong?"

"She's right, you know."

The unforeseen popup of her friend showing up once she had said that made Charlotte slip out of inconvenience, but also provide her with a rather fantasized situation in which she relived the event that happened the day before they began hadou training. At first she had no qualms of his kind consideration of keeping her from falling, but seeing that Aliya was in the room (and knew nothing of the fact that she was a girl), her embarrassment caused her to squirm out of his arms and land ungracefully on the floor. Letting out a groan as she didn't appreciate what happened, Charlotte slowly rubbed her back and grimaced as she found the courage to eye her surprise guest.

"She?" Aliya asked her elder brother, who just now realized what he had done. So much for keeping the secret under wraps.

"Kakarotto... I see him as female." He nervously chuckled. "It's a game we play, and sometimes I try to dress up to see if I can fool others. We've been doing this at the academy for a while. Guess I sort of missed the game that I unconsciously referred to him as '_she_'."

Apparently his lie was enough for his little sister to accept as a viable answer, but it backfired in terms of leaving the two relatively unscathed as they were subjected to a naive complement on behalf of his sister's imagination. According to her, she believed the two actually did seem like a great couple, had they been able to engage in such relationships with one another. The irony of her correct allegation was so strong, it left the two older adolescents speechless until they were assisted by Alexander entering the room and making a huge fuss over something the boy could not understand. Eventually, the words pertaining to the involvement of breaking news over an actual attack caught the boy's attention and caused him to rush out of the room and check what his younger brother was saying was true.

"Taritsu." Baddack began, trying his best to keep the boy from freaking out. "I've just got them to answer their phone. You... won't want to hear it, but—here, listen for yourself."

Baddack awaited as his nephew listened to the call.

"Is that you, son? Please—stay home until this all passes."


	40. Chapter 40

**Arc III**

**Chapter 16**

**When The Bell Tolls**

* * *

"This just in: Terrorist attack in the Pearl of Ordana, Kairne—Cryn..."

The televised broadcast being watched was describing what many did not anticipate as a seriousness. For a good reason too, as the director of the academy had told everyone to mind the Sagratian news report of the issue. They were more of a political bias media outlet, and had no agenda for allying with the Kairnese in the same way they would respond to what had happened. This was well known, and Euphemia knew that it was, for she kept hearing the students' comments revolving around whether or not it was an unfortunate industrial accident with the Robotics facility, and what not. Still, other believed that they were actually attacked, but the most prevalent of the comments were the ones pertaining to her friend's lack of attendance.

"Hey, have you heard of the rumor going around?" A random girl approached Stephanie as she tried focusing on her afternoon studies. While she did tolerate Amy's input of rumors, she acknowledged that those were more of informing rather than indulging in gossip. This girl was clearly gossiping, and it was annoying her to the point of which she wanted to tell her off.

Instead, she reminded herself that doing so would get her kicked out, so she decided to amuse the stranger. "No..."

"Seriously? Well, it pertains to a certain student in Ms. Velarde's class; apparently ever since the incident where those ninjas invaded, there's been speculation as to what happened to the one named Jotaro Kujo. Some have been saying he's Taritsu Rutabaski of Kairne, and it seems true since Jotaro hasn't returned to school. All the evidence for it is there: blue hair, same frame, scary aura—."

She stopped her at that point. There would be no more tolerance of such ignorant harming, and Euphemia would not allow this girl to categorize Taritsu with such negligence of his actual self. "Well, that's mainly not true. Sure, they may look and seem the same, but that's still a rumor, and people have the right to prove themselves first rather than allow assumptions build their reputation. Jojo's been busy, so that's why he hasn't come back yet."

She narrowed her eyes on her, sensing that it might have been a lie. Eventually, she gave up and smirked after realizing the nickname she referred him as, "The both of you are going out, that's why you're rather defensive aren't you?"

"Regardless if we were or not, you can't immediately assume someone by what others unjustly judged them to be. It's a simply cruel mix of ignorance and arrogance."

"I agree," interjected a familiar voice that Euphemia instantly recognized.

Turning around, she saw Soren, who had transferred over to the school over the winter break, most likely due to her mother's interference. As she had always known his role in school, her supposed "_friend_" had a small entourage of people accompanying him, and he had been amusing them in a conversation prior to having jumped in to "_assist_" Euphemia with her problem.

'_More like distract the girl with your charm._' She pessimistically thought as she saw that the girl had been intoxicated by his charisma and lose interest in the topic she was previously interested in indulging. Though she was glad that she had no longer needed to bother with the annoyance, Euphemia wasn't going to stand around and wait for Soren to speak to her. She would never do that, especially since she had already learned her lesson in the past. As such, she casually left the area while she was certain that he wouldn't notice the rude departure. '_Though it would have been easier if I just thanked him, interacting would lead to a repeat of history._'

"Ah, Euphemia. Wait up—."

"Yukinoshita."

His expression subtly hinted that he had been affected by her cold reply, but as she had always known about the Zeferi boy, he remained with a relatively calm demeanor.

'_I'm being too personal in public, better tone it down._' "Sorry about that, Yukinoshita. I just couldn't help but notice that you were having an argument over something akin to an inconvenient fact. My name is Soren Zeferi; mind if we become friends?"

'_Is he tempting fate?!_' "I see. Thank you for the consideration, but I haven't the time to focus on cultivating relationships right now."

That apparently had Soren silenced. He didn't know how to fix his mistake in order to continue the conversation, but there was slight hope in turning everything around later on. "Oh—then some other time, perhaps. Take care, Yukinoshita."

Seeing him leave and far enough out of earshot, Euphemia silently scoffed and turned to attend to her things, but once picking them up and heading to a favorite study location, she was startled by the quick paced girl.

"Hey! Would it hurt to be more careful?"

"Ah. Apologies," she replied, then narrowed her eyes and noticed that it was the same person she had spoken to last semester. "Yukinoshita Euphemia, am I right?"

"Yes. We also met before, but I never caught your name."

"Pawlitzki. Cecilia Pawlitzki. I'm currently working on a survey and was hoping for a response from the transfer student." '_He's also been in Empire City __on__ that day. Something really has been going on, and if he was there, then it can't be just pure coincidence. If I want to know the truth, then I must continue looking for controversial matters involving them_.'

"If that's what you wish to do, then by all means, have at it. Just don't make a mistake like that next time."

Left feeling satisfied and certain that her suspicions of the relationships were correct, Cecilia briefly responded a few words on the matters of Euphemia's and Taritsu's interactions, vaguely causing the dark-haired girl to falter as she heard her say something along the lines of luck upon their future together. Yet before she was able to ask how she knew, Cecilia responded in anticipation of her reaction.

"I was around when he said his name, but I respect his secret. However, I am curious of what he's up to since he hasn't attended classes."

* * *

The safety of the BALM Helicarrier was the first place which Cheisu had relocated them to—being the best choice for their safety from the possibility of being the next target.

"What of your sister Camila, Karalynne?"

"Ambassador Tepelny has had a problem locating where Camila has gone off to. The last we have of her location was in the Acacia community, but there is no other leads that can assist us in finding her. She's been sending letters that inform us of her well-being, as well as wishing her sister good fortune for her birthday and possible chances of getting what she desires for her birthday."

"I'm not going to ask what desires Karalynne has, but if I had to guess, it'd be that things turn out as she wishes. Peace and fortune upon everyone, including your sister, correct?"

Aila kept silent, and instead found herself suffering from a need to correct the boy of his naivety. What he guessed was what he had projected Karalynne's true personality was, but knowing how the girl wished to have things completed without interference, she excused herself for some fresh air.

"_My sister's actually a sweet child._" She softly whispered, though more to herself than to Taritsu who she should have told. At any case, he wouldn't have had the chance to reply since Taritsu was then called upon to speak with the BALM agents who sought him for solutions to a rather strange riddle.

"Rutabaski. Thank goodness you've arrived. We have news as to what happened in Cryn. There was an industrial accident, which so far is what Pioneeri has reported to us. However, we're not willing to take risks until everything passes. Your parents and the others are fine, but we need to do something about this situation—and now."

"Actually, I'm more concerned of Rutabaski's health, than him doing anything, at the moment." Revealed Director Nick Miles to everyone involved. "See, what we've figured out so far is that there has been an industrial accident, but this wasn't one. According to the data we've received from Light Labs, there was a mismatch in data recorded for shipments to Cryn's Tool Bank. They counted 25 units being sent, where as the Tool Bank reported an addition of eight units to the order. What investigators have figured from this is that it relates somewhat to the disappearances reported all over the continent. Normally that number never breaches the 80,000 limit every year, but by what was recorded over the last two weeks, we've discovered an astonishing 12% of that number took place, coinciding with the vast increases in the reported sightings of strange creatures in that same interval."

"That's more than 56% in the average weekly estimation of people who go missing. Numbers don't rise that high in such short notice without an explanation." Taritsu pointed out, simplifying the case for reference. "But what's the deal with my health being called to question?"

"Simply come this way, Taritsu." Director Miles stated, leading everyone involved towards the cell of a specific individual whom they had yet to uncover his ties with the investigation. It wasn't much of a walk, but it was indeed causing Baddack to tense up as he couldn't do much with all of the agents either saluting or staring at them from afar. Catching on to their side comments, he wanted to stab a couple of them for their rudeness, but tried his best to keep the anger hidden, at least until they reached their destination.

"On the other side of this window is prisoner-005: Paul Kelley. This man, involved in seven wars around the world, has been recorded with a mercenary talent of 400 recorded kills, twelve which has been head-shots on moving targets using the L115A3. While his nationality and name is officially unknown, we—."

"Get on to the point." Baddack warned, feeling uneasy with the specifics described. He wasn't intimidated, but rather had a nagging feeling of being reminded of his past; it wasn't something he wanted people looking into, but as of lately the only people who had the strength to forgive him were few and rare.

"As you wish Baddack." Miles replied. Indicating to the agents in charge of the prisoner, they prepared the release of the man by placing all the necessary restraints and allowing him to walk out of the confinement of his cell. Scowling at their insistence of having him move, Kelley trudged forward while averting his eyes at the viewers at the other side of the window. He knew that the only reason he would be released was to speak with the director and be forced to comply with his interrogation process, so he did all what he could to disrespect the man passively. Only this time, he had not received the scolding that he associated with the austere leader.

"G-G-GET HIM AWAY! TAKE ME AWAY FROM HIM! THAT DEMON WILL KILL ME!"

The agents responding immediately to pacify him of his fears, Kelley continued speaking of the maladies that he was certain would affect him if he remained in the presence of the one person he feared in all his years as a professional mercenary. He was not a man to have such a negative psychological response; BALM had exposed him in several interrogation attempts, several in which they deprived him of his senses and tortured him in prolonged ways, yet remained calm and unaffected by most of what they tried. Until recently, the most they discovered was the confirmation of what his purpose for using the experimental weapon was for.

Knowing that the two were going to question why they still kept the man imprisoned in the Helicarrier, Miles began explaining in a calm and rational tone that seemed fair. "Just answer a few questions, and we'll do as you ask. Your sentence will end, depending on what satisfactory response you give."

Unfortunately Kelley did not seem secure enough to remain calm. Instead, he started reciting a prayer in some sort of tongue which most of the agents hadn't much of an idea of what it was or where it was from. Those who did try to translate using their computer system came up short with no results, and Miles' patience was running thin. He was sure to bust a vein and beat the prisoner, but the good fortunate news was that they finally had an answer—just not from their own.

"The guy's saying something about there being a _Demon of the Night_."

'_What the hell? Is this guy scared of some fictitious, mythical character?_' Miles immediately had one of his agents begin research, then politely pressured Baddack to provide more information on the man's prayer. Eventually, they had stumbled upon a dead-end as the research came short of anything viable, though he had an idea of what to do next. "What language was he speaking?"

"I honestly have no knowledge as to what it is. I was simply taught the language as a boy, and I only have a faint clue as to what he means." Baddack didn't want to think back of that man, of the horrible ethics and rules he accepted growing up. At first, he thought that the guy was better than his father, but it became apparent around his twelfth year of age that he was just as bad, if not worse. Had the fact of a dogmatic creed of supremacy not stirred remorse, he wouldn't have realized that he too emulated some of his father's traits—killing the children weren't his intention, but he had done so to keep them from alerting the elders. One of the children's mothers had searched frantically for her child, and seeing how mercilessly she had died brought Baddack to wonder of his own mother.

"The language is _Ayarsi_."Aila's sudden arrival allowed them to learn what they were curious of. Alongside her was Karalynne, whom she had escorted based on her insistence to join the others, instead of waiting alongside the Charlotte, Paula, and the twins.

"You shouldn't be here," started the agents, but silenced once having their leader's approval of her stay. At the current moment, any source of information was highly valued for the investigation. Besides, Aila had much more knowledge on what was being said than any information databases had on the culture of the language. That was one of the few benefits she had in learning the culture to assist Karalynne from a young age.

Facing Baddack and paying him his due respect, Aila began the analysis of what she needed to bridge together the cultural barrier which had dissipated over the last several millenniums. "What do you know of his reasoning for such claims, Doctor Valogna?"

"If I recall correctly, he was mauled by Taritsu..."

The adolescent sighed in having been partly blamed for his behavior, but instead of remaining gloomy, chose to concentrate in piecing together the clues to solve the mystery in the meantime.

"...his traumatic experience is based on that encounter. He—Taritsu—was possessed by a desire to protect us, but that desire ended becoming a murderous obsession which he has not tapped into nor relied on since. I'd like to think it as just a figment of my imagination, but the sanguine aura of a killer still remains vivid in my mind; it's likely the prisoner remains haunted by the close encounter." Baddack finished, then pointed over at the pitiful form of the man who was trying to escape from his reality by asphyxiating himself, only to have the guards tie him against the wall to prevent any more self-injuries.

Nodding as she heard everything necessary, Aila reached a conclusion, but was uncertain as to if it was the right one. Knowing that the man might reveal more if subjected to facing his source of terror, she asked the young Rutabaski to comply with her assistance, to which he did. Much to his annoyance.

"What do I say?"

"AI ʒⱴi╖┠╷, AI ⟟a⟟ ~ɒǀ╷ ǀ~ɒⱴ jɒʌ ⱴi┠i ǀɛi ɒ~i. ǀ╵ɛijʌ ɒ~╽jʌ ǀɒ╽⟟ ⥐i ǀɒ╷ giǀ ┠a⟟ ɒð ǀɛi ⱴɒ╽ʃi┠a~i ╕jʌ ʌʒi ɒð ǀɛi ⱴi╖ɔɒ~. ǀ╵ɛijʌ ⟟ɒ╻ ~ɒǀ╷ c╖┠i ⥐ʌcɛ að AI ǀa╽╽i⟟; ɒ~╽jʌ ǀɛi ⟟╖ǀ╖ ⥐╖ǂ╕┠ʒ╷." Kelley said in the near-extinct language, which prompted Karalynne to translate what was said as he continued to speak. For some odd reason, Taritsu found it rather nostalgic, like an instinctive integral part of his being that called him to reciprocate in the language. A compulsion to imitate the language and conversate, but he kept the feeling in check by reminding himself of the fact it was extremely unprofessional and risky to do so.

"He swears that _he didn't know you were the one_. That they only instructed him to _get rid of the Wolverine by using the weapon_. That _they didn't expect a kill, since the only thing that they valued was the data_ he could provide."

With what was provided for them to interpret, the group that had no idea of how the girl knew what the prisoner spoke of gave up on trying, but did wonder what it was that he meant by referring to him as the one. Miles, being subjected to having heard that from Johannes decades ago about the possibility his next generation descendant would be like, ignored the detail and simply associated the data provided with what they had. It would certainly aid in specifying what he needed the boy to understand for his role in all this. "Alright, you can rest easy now, Kelley." He stated, allowing the agents to proceed with their work and motioning to his guests to join him once more.

Where they were going wasn't exactly an ideal place for those who were sensitive to such gruesome and graphic content, so he warned the girls tagging along of what they were to expect. Of course, he knew both males were much more accustomed to such matters as the elder lived in such a past that was rather expected of him (as Cheisu informed the organization) and Taritsu had both a scientific background and experience with such content on a personal level.

"Let the agents go in first... and stay away from the cages when you enter, alright?"

'_Who in their right minds would even place cages out in the o_—_?!_' Baddack tensed at once after catching a whiff of the hazardous scent. Toxic and full of danger, he made sure to keep the boy nearby in order to keep him safe, but in doing so, did not realize that he left the girls exposed to what ever danger Miles spoke of. With little to expect, they both visibly trembled when the creature popped out of its resting state, and force the cage to drag way from the initial position it had been in. Whilst it was natural for Karalynne to have such a reaction, and Taritsu's for having pitied her for being scared, Aila denied _ANY_ reference to having been caught off guard. She would not tolerate the boy's ridicule, especially since the beginning of his training showed just how weaker his constitution was compared to hers.

"Sorry, sir. We've tried different chemical compositions, but the process still remains irreversible."

To the others, Miles was unaffected by the news, but it was quite clear that the man had not intended to show his accompanying guests the failure the scientists had reported. No, it was not in his interest to worry of the fact that these rats were capable of moving entire cages twenty times their original weight, but that it was the very idea that the rats had a biological flaw which correlated with a life-threatening disease which he had recently found out of from Amanda.

"It matters little, so don't worry about it so much. Could you fetch me... _the documents_?"

"Ah. Very well, sir." Responded the scientist, who then shortly returned with a manila folder which held the information he needed. Additionally, the others had prepared a screen for viewing, knowing it was best that they did show to allow the group access to the examples they were about to see. How bad would it have been had they forgotten to set up the slideshow.

"Whenever you are ready, director."

Miles signaled for the switch to be flipped, just as he had gotten the documents open to the proper and actual part which concerned the Rutabaski adolescent. The screen showing nothing but abysmal darkness, was soon replaced by a visual of microbial recordings which the scientists had captured for emphasis of what needed to be said. "I am sure you know that a rat's healthy cells appear like the one on the screen now. Notice that the processes are well kept and scheduled; a non-rushed, non-stressed automation of life. However, the rats which you saw like the one in that cage has a vastly different cell composition."

On the screen, it showed what was akin to cancerous cells—cells that were rapid in replication and highly aggressive against all neighboring cells that were similar to it. While it was volatile, it did not maim or destroy the colony that grew with it. "These are what we've been researching for a while now. That experimental weapon that Kelley had when you defeated him had a substance that caused this to the biology of the rats. Notice what happens when these cells are near perfectly healthy ones."

"They coax the foreign ones to conform." Taritsu noted.

"—Exactly, but there are related cases where the cells resist and are instead forced to benefit the invading colonies with energy." Miles added in, then took the liberty to ask Taritsu once more how he was feeling. It was rather ambiguous and concerning for the boy to hear others speak of his health, but he finally realized what was going on. He made certain to figure out what Amanda Burnes had told his uncle by demanding Bass observe their little exchange, and he also figured that his health issue was tolling his abilities. It was the sole reason why he lost to Bane.

"Director Miles, have a few agents ready for my grandfather. I understand what we need to do right now."

Miles couldn't help but chuckle at first. He thought it was marvelous that the great grandchild of Juliano Marzo was able to see the connections without being told directly. "—And what could that be?"

* * *

Amadeus did not know what he could do once hearing the news. There was no possible way that Johannes would risk making a speech that directly criticized the idea which enveloped the culture of many Kairnese inhabitants with the nonchalant attitude that betrayed his cautious, conservative political stance. The certainty that a civil war would arise was threatening, but he remembered that part of what made the Rutabaski elder admirable was that he knew when it was best to act. '_Whether or not Phillip told me the whole truth, I am not certain. There is, however, a grand truth in what he reported to me._'

A knock on the door assured him that the ones he requested finally arrived. Granting them access, the two boys who was of the original team entered, bringing along the newest addition to their group: Soren Zeferi. He seemed uncertain, but there was a definite amount of pride in him that significantly indicated like the light of a beacon tower. Like his grandfather, Soren appeared to be Taritsu's opposite in terms of role and approach method, but there was the issue of his covert tendency to keep things to himself. So much that it worried his parents if he was even feeling like a genuine person, rather than a mere puppet for the agenda of an ongoing legacy.

'_Of course, that is one of the disadvantages of growing up in a clan, but I think I can straighten this out._' Amadeus thought to himself of what he needed to do for the following mission they were in charge of, then noticed that Soren was becoming uneasy with the silence. He didn't want to admit it, but the extended silence was something that he perceived as the impending punishment before him. Perhaps the director would chastise him for having amassed such popularity in a short amount of time. Or perhaps he was reported by the likes of those doubting his honest neutral stance.

Unlikely, with how Amadeus had known the boy was simply another case like Taritsu. Isolated from society, but imprisoned within its cage. "You may all sit; this may take a while longer than I like, so get comfortable."

"Pardon the odd request, but may I listen to the international news while you get things started, Director Quinn?" Anthony politely asked in his template method of interactions that he reserved for social communications. Since he had been reporting back to the Director on his findings and current priorities, Amadeus allowed it. He knew Anthony was investigating the conspiracy behind the State and Anti-State Terrorism groups, but he was also curious as to whether or not Johannes was successful with the abrupt speech he made earlier. They just had to see whether or not the entirety of his purpose for announcing his thoughts wasn't lost on deaf ears.

"—_It does seem that way, Howard. The Kairnese Padrone has announced what may be the most controversial thing since the family dynasty of rulers had their shocking upset from 1963._"

"_I wouldn't go as far into that, Josh. What you are saying is rather insensitive, not to mention that when Juliano Marzo announced he would give the youth of the world free access to education, he died three weeks later by the fault of Boruvia's Emperor. They [Rutabaskis] are known to be forgiving, propagators of truth and living champions of Morality, so I'm really not so surprised that Rutabaski and Emperor Kaido are close acquaintances despite what happened. If anything they are what I would expect of a political leader for a responsible government that ACTUALLY ACTS for their constituents and serve the public. _

_Now I'm not saying anything about condoning our political front runners for the presidential race, but criticizing Johannes Greil for his speech isn't right, nor is it at all an honorable thing to do__—especially since their philosophies claim that they'll be transparent, when they're obviously either pocketing money from Big Corporate Banks, inconsistent, or just downright flip-flopping between issue stances. You have to give credit to the man though: his concern is the safety of his people, and if they wish to be free to do as they like, what better than to allow them to secede from the main collective? Sure, it may mean that in order to make up for production loss by making the people work more, but such an argument couldn't be any further from the truth. _

_He doesn't promise anyone anything; if he sees something is wrong, all he does is inform them what he's going to do and ACTUALLY DOES JUST THAT. There are no facts withheld with the Kairnese government thanks to the so-called "**Rutabaski Family Dynasty**" you joked of earlier. In fact, I believe that this very philosophy that they exercise is just what Sagratia needs for their next President. A Grassroots politician who takes up the role of the Watchdog... that's what I would want as a leader if I were to entrust someone with the right to our nation's nuclear launch codes. I mean, that is what has worked for the Kairnese for a millennium now, and it seems that it is one of Senator Brown's main selling points as a national sensation for the presidential primaries._"

"_Regardless if that were true or not, it seems that a certain candidate has taken the opportunity to snub the Padrone, Howard. Real Estate Tycoon Arnold Palmerton certainly doesn't believe that the Kairnese leader is doing enough, especially since the whole deal with WUSS exists because of their family._"

'_What complete nonsense they expose to viewers._' Amadeus thought as he overheard what Anthony was listening to. It was highly biased from the critic, whereas the one correcting him was using the opportunity to advertise. Of course, Senator Brown wasn't a bad person, but a bias news source was something to be aware of when being informed of the facts. Otherwise, people would simply rely on being told, and not actually determining themselves on what the bigger picture was. A subtle and horrible way to eradicate individual thinking by sedating the people in a discrete manner of materialism, but at the very least the man did good by defending what the Rutabaskis stood for.

Speaking of them, Amadeus had to ensure that the current generation was, in fact, appeased for what had happened. "Henry, I am giving you the authorization to leave the island, but only to deliver an article to Rutabaski." He stated, pulling out a small package that held a couple of private possessions he kept as a promise to his father. After receiving the proper salute as the boy left, the director laid his attention solely on the remaining member who he had yet to advise. There was a faint idea as to what he knew of Soren's feelings, but the gist of it was perhaps inadequacy. Soren couldn't stand up to the feats Cesare achieved, but he had the potential from what his parents had sent for his records. A good hobby or club might do him well—at least to keep his mind off of the things he believes were part of his weakness.

"Soren... I can't help but notice that you have been well accepted by the student body. It's only been a few days, and you already have a clique; considering this, what do you see in your future with such a potential?"

'_The director is asking him this now? Wouldn't such a process be done after having a test screening?_' Anthony couldn't help but overhear the conversation. He was still paying close attention to the sources of news, but he was curious as to why the director was interested in such a thing now. It was enough that the kid was revealed to be a potential member of their group, but this was rather inefficient. Then again, he couldn't really judge his actions, since as of this moment he was judging the behavior of his comrade who had been reported to had knocked the wind out of an advocate for the WUSS organization. While normally the boy wouldn't act so harshly, he was justified in the comment he said aloud afterwards. Irrational inconsideration for the lives of innocents did not mean that WUSS was right in their desire for their "_Greater_" cause. Of course, he was later chastised for doing that, but Taritsu was correct in having to punish the man for trying to recruit others by disrupting the peace and calling out his grandfather as a liar.

"I really don't know what I'd like to do. What my father does is rather noble, and I'd like to take up his mantle, but considering how he has been incognito due to his reputation as an attorney, I don't feel it is a correct career path."

"Upholding justice is never really something one must feel obliged to do on their own. Defending the truth takes great sacrifice, especially when they are inconvenient, but I get what you are saying, Soren. No one is asking you to become an attorney, but what I am asking... is what you desire to be."

'_What I desire huh?_' Soren had never really given it much thought. He grew up learning that his purpose was to complete a role, and nothing more. To change his role for the future meant to go against those teachings, but if there was something he desired, then it would be to have what his "rival" had. '_What I desire...is her to forgive me._' "I'm interested in sports medicine. How may I learn that?"

"_Sports Medicine_? Ah...you mean the Performance Enhancing Technician role. Yes, that is a respected field, especially since it aids people as a whole. Do you know why it is well respected?"

"It's a form of ergonomics?"

"Close, but that does fulfill the majority of what I had in mind." He began, recalling how it was an integral essence to Cesare's self. It was wonderful to see that such a value in the study interested his grandson, but then again, he had a mother who basically did the same for decades now. She, however, did not have the freedom to do as she'd like, but with Soren on the team, he could at the very least escape under the ploy of convincing Taritsu to be an ally to his clan. "Well, what you know as Sports Medicine is a subset study of the PET; the responsibilities are more or less the same, but the purpose lies in what you seek out to do. If applied in the right way, you may significantly improve a boxer's chances in a fight..._Hypothetically_. I'm actually glad you find interest, as I wonder if you have what it takes to join the team."

'_Team? That would mean Rutabaski and I will work together. If I am lucky, I may learn something great that should ease my problems into virtually nonexistence, then I wouldn't need to be part of the problem anymore._' "Then what must I do, Director—!" He caught himself, realizing how much he had intruded by the outburst. While not part of his normal reactions, they were embarrassing for him to notice as he felt rather free discussing with Amadeus Quinn. The first he actually saw an adult as someone who did not demand of him results: that was what made him feel at ease, and Amadeus noticed this. "Sorry. I am rather enthusiastic of what I can do, but the display was rude of me."

"It wasn't at all. In fact, of all the problematic cases, you are rather refreshing out of the rest."

'_IS HE SAYING RUTABASKI AND I ARE NUISANCES?_' Anthony couldn't stand the thought of letting the insult slide, but noticing how the boy seemed to take that as a compliment, he respected what the director was doing. Encouraging Soren to value his abilities and individuality... Sagratia was not the only social group that blurred the line between society and the individual.

"However, if you really want to jump ahead, then I encourage you to try out a few of the clubs until you find one that you feel most comfortable with and learn what it takes for the skill."

Soren nodded, stood up from his seat, and bow out of habit before leaving.

* * *

Working in the facility off hours was encouraged since Johannes' speech encouraged everyone to pour into a collective effort to unite against WUSS. They needed the most tools, armors, vehicles, and battle units that they could get—but it was still odd to have seen the number of amassed units queued for their finishing jobs. Of course, the one behind the effort was none other than Taritsu, but his reason for being angry was obvious: his grandfather had ordered him to stay away from the front lines.

'_Why train me if I can't provide anything to ensure the outcome is good on our part?_' He knew doing what he wanted would run risks but he was sure of his capabilities at this point. His responsibility was to remain in the lab and conceive more solutions to the ecology project, but it was boring without anyone else to converse the details about. The worker's understood his vocabulary on the tools and functionality of the subjects he'd create, except that was the most they knew. Then again, Adrian made up for the lack of engaging conversations, so the problem wasn't simply finding the work boring.

"Haven't been running much lately?"

"Henry?"

"That's me." He answered and briefly paused to adjust the package on the table. "Director Quinn said you'd be needing this sometime soon. I'm certain that your family will end the organization from headquarters, so you need not worry. Why not focus on having fun instead?"

"No, if I do that, I'd be ignorant of my duties and fail everyone down by not doing my part."

"Well, I can't persuade you to reconsider the options, but try not to be so systematic of these matters. Just make sure to come back once you're done with your duties. The group just doesn't feel the same without you, Pioneeri, or Valogna around."

Taritsu nodded, reciprocating the feeling. It was true that he missed being around everyone else, but his interest in ensuring people were safe and protected thanks to his truest efforts called for him to put it on hold. Once he was certain that Henry left and no one was watching him, he stepped away from the monitor and checked what the contents of the package was. A simple manuscript, humbly labeled and written by Matsui Shiro.

'_Gramps said I couldn't be in the front lines, and should focus on research. He never said I can't look into his father's research. Guess I'll do that._'


	41. Chapter 41

**Arc III**

**Chapter 17**

**Pursuing**** My Past Self**

* * *

Slinging from building to building was routine for our fettered hero. Of all the years he spent perfecting his techniques, the process was easy and convenient thanks to his mastery over the basic ability he had lived with. Hadou manipulation was something he did not know other than by name, but the study of the bioelectromagneticism was a working theory he had collaborated with other scientists on the subject to know and grow more diverse in its practical applications. He knew it intimately, because the proper functionality of his webbing's properties relied on his ability to manipulate his own, as well as having exchanged information on the topic with Elisa Vargas.

Unfortunately, that ability was quickly diminishing as he had—months ago—been exposed to radical mad scientists who sought to infect a population with a serum. Not just an ordinary concoction, but one derived from the genetic sample of the Pillarmen the ISF and EASY had been currently looking into.

He could still remember the promise he made to his son, that he would return to him shortly working on his projects at the International Science Foundation, but he soon found himself in agony with brief exposure to the rays of the sun.

'_I know uncle Speedwagon told me to get this cured as soon as possible. He saw this before with my father, but there is no convenient cure or method that can reverse whatever is happening. I might die, but I do know that the conspiracy behind the purpose of the serum is to infect a population with this horrible evolutionary process. Unleashing a contagion upon many unsuspecting souls... would escalate into a bloody stream of endless battles based on tendencies and violent outbreaks of infections. My time is limited, and I don't know how much longer I can keep this under wraps. I need to tell Shiro—and warn him of the intentions they have for the Saiyans!_'

He knew the story—his uncle told him of it a lot of times—but whether he believed in the bizarre tale being true or not, Juliano could never turn a blind eye to the injustice that took his Uncle Ben's life. That villainous freak of a scientist ate him alive like a ravenous vulture, and it was what first led him to entering the occupation as the vigilante "Wall Crawler" officially. He wanted to avenge his aunt's husband, but whilst he did succeed by capturing and imprisoning that murder, he also found himself infected by whatever made him into a wretched monster.

Then again, there was also a fear that urge him to think otherwise. Exactly what reason did he have to do this, that he owed such acts or righteousness to the people, the strangers, who he may never know? Why would he spend the last few moments of his life to prevent the dangers born of this conspiracy, if all he desired... was to spend the last remaining moments of his life with his family and loved ones?

The reason was simple, just as it was simple for his father to have decided to stay behind and fight to the end. To fight until he could not no longer, being asphyxiated by the waters of the global flood some many years ago. While the desire to cultivate his selfishness was strong, a sense of guilt waved through him if he ignored his duties. His only son may perhaps be glad that he made it to celebrate the anniversary of his birth, but he'd still remain saddened by the fact he would die. Had he instead ignored to warn Shiro, then there'd be more problems left for his son, and ultimately, he would fail as a father.

_He'd fail as the Padrone..._

"Stop right there!" The guardsmen cried as they did not recognize him in costume. It was black and had a jacket of the noir style, but clothing nor verbal warnings did not concern Juliano now. Then again, entering the Emperor's palace unannounced would constitute his death, but he would have to endure just long enough to leave his ally the message. '_On second thought, if I unmask myself, he may not kill me._'

It was tempting, but the fact of the matter was that he knew not how long he may remain in control. It could be rather soon, or when he arrived home, but his conscience could not bear the consequences that would arise if he desired to live through the delivery.

"A spy?!" Matsui immediately jumped into action and readied himself in a stance. His energy beams were precision shot, so they'd always hit their mark, but Juliano knew if he were shot from or above the chest the action would be all for nothing. Therefore, he allowed it to pierce his leg.

"I don't wish to alarm you... but," the guards that previously caught sight of him now surrounded him, and beat him to the ground so as to keep the enemy from being able to take a distant shot at the Boruvian Emperor. "The group... WUSS... they intend to exploit the Saiyans. Warn them not to remain eased. They... must be awry of recruiting parties, and remain skeptical of scientists that wish to "_improve_" them."

"What do you blabber about? The nonsense you are telling the Emperor is just a repeat of his speeches!" Spoke another guard as he struck Juliano once again, but soon found it futile with the sight of his weapon broken in half. It caused the others to falter briefly, but they remained ever more resolved to protect their leader.

"Kill me." He said, garbled by his masked but also of the sensation he was feeling course through his body. It was an intoxicating high that he could not describe—other that a horrifying realization that the "_itch_" he currently felt was that a monster like he currently was turning into felt due to a lack of human flesh!

"Kill me, wise emperor! They have gotten to me already, and I have no time left to remain in control!"

"It's a trap, sire. He could have an explosive!"

'_Damn these guardsmen. Inconvenient when you most need things._' He tried to think of a way to convince his ally, but there was none at the moment. He wanted to say something, anything! Yet his mind was quickly consumed by a pervasive, single interest. He would kill everyone within this room, then the building, the community, and those infected would likely spread it. These thoughts consumed him, until suddenly—

He felt himself satisfied by the fact he could rely on Matsui Shiro.

Unmasked by his ally as he had grown curious of the messenger who risked his life, Juliano could only gasp for air as he saw the man's eyes widen in regret for what he had done.

"Rutabaski-san. Why?"

From his jacket's inner pocket fell the bloodied letter which had been intended for his son's mother—Elizabeth—to read. In it, it instructed her to refrain from telling Johannes that he was her son, and that she should trust and follow the orders of his entrusted protégé at EASY: Nicholas Miles.

"I... wouldn't want to fail them, Shiro." He said, struggling to force himself a faint smile. In the end, what Juliano Marzo had done, was shift the mysterious family dynasty war from the Rutabaskis and the Supernatural, to involve those who simply intended to lead the world to discover an ideal: The Utopia.

* * *

"Where are you going, Taritsu?"

He didn't want to say anything. He didn't know whether or not Karalynne would tell his grandfather what he was planning to do, but he entrusted her enough to leave his books with her. She'd take the knowledge and summarize it for him; it was her ability, and she had in fact offered her services to him before. All but one was given to Karalynne: Emperor Shiro's manuscript.

"Nowhere I shouldn't. I just have to get things completed quickly, so I can't read these like I'd like to in my spare time. How about once this is over, you'd tell me all about it. Like a story book."

She blushed at the image of such a situation, but then again, Taritsu intended for her to be distracted by that imagined setup. Sure, he knew lying was bad, but the priority of his actions found it necessary to do this. He just needed to ensure that he wasn't going into the dark in all this, so as soon as he left the palace, he began contacting the people he needed. '_Grandfather Shiro referred to Grandpapa Tarique being killed by Deus. My guess is that it was just an idea, and likely not a person._'

"Sup."

"Anthony, you still have everything you detailed on our first mission? With Ironhead Systems."

"Yeah. I archived them." He nonchalantly replied as he calculated everything he needed for his solutions. While he wasn't actually doing anything to further his research, he was currently bothered by the fact his online website was suffering from heavy server traffics, along with a suspicious bulletin news that his email received from the Googol corporation. Apparently they wanted to buy his website.

'_What was said of the illness was that it pained Grandfather Marzo to be in the sun..._' "You also reported that there was a third party to the company, correct? I figured things out."

Anthony was now paying full attention to what Taritsu was saying. "Keep on talking. I'm listening to you."

"We've discussed the things pertaining to the alien visitor I told you about before, so this is all interconnected to what we're looking into."

"Wait. How exactly do you know it's all interconnected?"

It didn't take a genius to figure out what Taritsu knew. All that people would usually focus on is the irrelevant details that flooded their minds, distracting them with everyday tidbits of amusements and joys. To the child of the Rutabaski household, he too would have been ignorant, but he had known and kept the information in the back of his mind. Perhaps because he truly did agree with Vejita's decision to remain cautious of Adrian, or that he was frightened by the possibility that he'd be back-stabbed when he least suspect it. As of now, he knew that the ability that kept him alert against threats would not last forever. He was nervous in that fight, and all that the ability did was rack up his attention at the same time that he was trying to fight back. Dual processing mind be damned—Bane was too overpowered to fight by just relying on his raw power.

"The challenger who beat me had used a serum that boosted his abilities; the Director of BALM informed me that this very serum was involved with the experimental weapon that was almost used against my uncle. He also said that I was one of several who had been subjected to a viral infection, though I'm uncertain as to whether or not it is true that the exact details of the virus is the same. I feel normal, but when I exert myself I find my stamina, endurance, and durability strained and limited. However, what most intrigues me is the fact there are more missing people reported, which constitutes that my infection was likely to determine if those similar to my genetic makeup is best to mess around with. Those like the visitor I told you about... they're most likely collaborating with WUSS to create an army of supersoldiers."

"—And you have any clue as to how to stop them? It's obvious by the way you speak, that you intend to do something reckless, Rutabaski."

"I'm not going to do anything of the sort. What I am, though, is complete a mission for my late great grandfather." Taritsu retorted. He was still around public property, so what he said may be picked up and reported by any passing civilians. Fortunately, he was of the age where a boy would be mistaken for speaking of first-person shooters with a degree of personal touch, but he wouldn't take any chances.

That being said, he placed on a cap and changed into a pair of loafers for the remainder of his journey back to the facility. "Look, just trust me when I say this, but my belief is that WUSS kidnapped a bunch of individuals to infuse them with their serums. My grandmother had been capable of destroying their progress back when she lost her memory, but now they have no one holding their efforts back. I have here with me my great grandfather's writings on their original serums, and if we're correct about our observations, then Bane has an updated version of the serum—based on the same properties."

"I get that, but who is Bane?"

He was stumped. Though no one knew who he currently was as he was walking, they probably noticed that he paused in mid-step and wondered why he was acting so nervous. Thankfully, he had the convenience of speaking in a manner that resembled summarizing a novel to cover up his anxiety.

"He's a person I believe the character had a run-in with, and was supposed to die from that encounter."

"Yet he remains alive... and has beat the ever-living crap out of you." Anthony continued for him, then took a deep breath and released it in a frustrated sigh. "—and your belief is that he's been augmented by them. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt, but how would you go about and defeat someone with an augmented physiology?"

He didn't say anything, for it was quite obvious that Anthony knew the answer himself. What he was doing was allowing Taritsu to provide an alternative solution, but the reality was he didn't have the time to come up with one.

"You're fucking serious, Rutabaski? You have to be kidding about that. Think what would happen if you do that!"

"I don't care so much for what they'd say about me. It's the only way to combat the genetic alterations without killing the people. If it means being sent to another trial, then I don't care about the consequences."

"Think what'll happen to your health though! If you go and cure hundreds, you'd run out of metabolites and die."

That was a certainty—had the boy been any ordinary person. Taritsu was different though. His life was filled with dangers and deaths around the corner if he made a misstep during an encounter, that he found such things the normal experience in life. Aside from science and research, presenting things and social interactions with people in matters that held no academic or scientific purpose was the only thing that really annoyed him. Too many variables to worry about with people. Anthony perhaps saw it differently, but he certainly was special with that ability to calculate the best options given limited exposure to his environment. He envied him for that. No, what Taritsu did figure would end up leading to his death was the fact he knew nothing of how to change into that form.

'_According to what Quinn said, it's called the Oozaru state. Mom said these beings only showed up during full moons, but known cases are lacking. What I've been doing must be something different; something in my biology causes me to transform, and if I am to be successful... then I must learn what it is. Thankfully, Charlotte can help me study what it is and what properties that form has unique to it. It's possible that I haven't died thanks to these latent powers._'

"I'll be fine, Anthony... but I do need to ask you to look into some coordinates with certain conditions, besides _that_ file we were working on for me."

* * *

"You're certain we can trust this guy?"

"There's nothing to worry about. We sent him in as a new recruit, so him capturing some of us will allow the infiltration teams the opportunities they need to unlock the gates. Rutabaski and Pioneeri will flank all the footmen who respond, and Valogna will clear a path to their leaders."

There were objectors to that plan, all who knew that as simple and attractive as it sounded, killing the heads of a terrorist organization wasn't going to end what they stood for. Yanagi and Sedrick have certainly objected to such a plan, since for most of their life they had known it was wrong, and Baddack found resorting to such a course of action disgraceful. Other than that, they were also bothered by the news of Johannes' speech. To think that while they would handle the leaders out in the wastelands, the rest of Kairne and their allies were now engaged to find the kidnapped persons that the organization's science department most likely took to experiment on.

"Alright people. Groups Delta-4 and Gamma-5. Be at the ready."

Yanagi, while having assessed and prepared for the infiltration, found her husband disturbed by some sort of annoyance. Knowing that the others depended on his complete confidence in order to succeed, she kept silent, but as soon as she had the chance to reel him away from the rest of the group, she started questioning him in a hushed whisper.

"Jeez, Yana. You could have taken it easy in yanking my collar. What's with you?"

"I'm the one who should be asking that. You seem uneasy, subconsciously nervous of something, when normally these sort of things are what thrills you. Tell me Sedrick; as your friend I am here for you."

He softly chuckled after a brief pause of disbelief. To think she wanted something else; Sedrick had essentially raised his guard to protect himself from his wife since he was so tense! Seeing this, she apologized and backed away from her husband.

"Well, I suppose I am also worked up, so it's natural that we're both responding to the stress." She joked, but Sedrick denounced that as his reason.

Wincing at her pissed expression, he placed a hand on the wall and thought up a manner of how to explain the feeling. "I'm... it's nothing really."

"What is, Sedrick?"

He shied his eyes away from her, finding his honest truth detestable for her to hear. She'd most likely punish him for it, but it was a nightmare and a pain he could not ignore, especially since... history might repeat. Nevertheless, he still remained insistent in keeping silent, and readied himself for the incoming blow she'd deliver.

Instead, he heard the soft ruffling of her sleeves, feeling defeated by his silence. She didn't need words to understand what he thought; she too had wondered it before, but the details made her uneasy. She granted him a smile—one that was weak and unstable, due to her threatening tears. Soon enough, she found her face held by her husband and life-long friend.

"Yana, I swear to you I will not let that happen. Those possibilities... they won't happen to us. It was just a peeve I was bothered with."

"Don't speak—just don't continue with that topic. Let's savor this moment...before we get out there."

They would have been glad to relax with such desires to remain relieved, but the shouting from the crew and others alerted them of a problem they just ran into.

"THE INFILTRATION TEAMS HAVE BEEN OUTDONE BY KINGSTON. EVERYONE MOVE OUT AND SHOOT DOWN ANY MEMBERS AFFILIATED WITH THE ORGANIZATION. NOW!"

* * *

He couldn't have chosen a worst idea than this.

"You're certain about this." Vejita asked, with a hint of genuine concern for the boy. As certain as Taritsu was that Vejita would have beaten him for what had happened, the adult could not deny that there was indeed an issue plaguing him. It was something he noticed of the boy; since his performance and recovery had not been as consistent as it had been in the past, he knew that the boy suffered from some sort of disease. Unfortunately neither of them knew how to counteract it, but Taritsu had an idea as to how to defeat it, and that was what brought the adult concern for his life.

"It's okay, Vejita. He'll be fine; all he needs is to cleanse himself with a purging." Charlotte reminded, believing in Taritsu's plan. It was also an uncertainty for her, especially since the voice speaking to her was arguing that it was a bad idea, but she couldn't bear to listen to what it wanted. Lately she had been subjected to hearing the multitudes of plans it had to win his affection, but she ignored them all. Except one: intoxicate him. She didn't know why she was curious about it, but the history she had with Taritsu had revealed to her that he was capable of enduring life-threatening levels of pain, poisoning, practically everything that a normal person would not survive. Added to it was the fact he could cure things with his lymphatic system, she convinced herself that her reason for being curious was to see if he _could_ cure himself. "Right?"

"Y—yeah." Taritsu replied, albeit seconds later than Charlotte expected it to be stated. It seemed to him that the more he thought of the logic, the more he was regretting his decision, but he had to try!

"Listen carefully now, I've come to decide that I can't do anything about transforming into that... thing. If I am, then it'd most likely because I was taxed by my body and it responds naturally to it. I also know if that were true, then I wouldn't have lost to Bane so easily; naturally, my body would have responded by the stress. That means that the reason I've been transforming is due to a kind of life-or-death situation where it happens for survival."

Charlotte nodded as he spoke, knowing intimately that his first transformation was due to having had his heart ripped away from him, and the second had probably been another issue where his organ system had responded to the virus. Chemical responses might have caused a response in him, but Charlotte wasn't so sure about asking Taritsu if there were any flaws with his thinking process. Luckily, Vejita didn't mind pointing it out for him.

"If that's the case, then that'd mean any dangerous disease will activate it, like how people's allergies go off."

"Maybe, but I'm not about to release Cthulhu just to destroy Godzilla, 'Jita. Remember that there's still the matter that when I had transformed last time, my metabolism was affected. Whether or not it is true since the beginning, or at that moment, I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that the virus I have has preoccupied the majority of my metabolism. BALM confirmed such cases exist, but mine is more severe and covert than what they explained it as."

Due to the boy's biology, the virus had been growing and improving at an exponential rate that he had little control over. He had noticed it with each time he used his speed, and it burned him to use more energy than necessary. The pain was becoming intolerable, but thanks to what his grandfather trained him in, he could manage a bit longer and endure short bursts of speed. Had he not, then the next time he blitzed around in a fight and lose, he might not recover entirely.

"Instead, I'm going to trick my biology into thinking that I'm suffering from an outbreak. Self-induce a fever." He ingeniously concluded, then turned and asked the still recovering Vejita if he had anything he needed. "Lipopolysaccharide, I need samples of LPS to safely induce the fever."

"Oh. I can get you those, Tari-sensei." Nora answered in place of Vejita, having finished her work in the other room. She gave Vejita the paper he asked for, then left after a quick smirk and wink towards the older male. This caused him to flush at the possibility that the other two would catch on, but he remained calm once seeing them more involved in discussing about the plan after his cleansing. "If you intend to invoke a fever, wouldn't it be best to also sweat out the ailment?"

"Yeah, I suppose." Taritsu answered with a weaker tone than he intended. He originally just wanted to let his body do the work on its own, but he figured he shouldn't waste precious time on waiting for the cleansing to complete on its own. "Vejita, the sauna is available for use, correct?"

"I'd advise you stay away from there, clown." Vejita immediately shot a glare at him. Why he did it was rather suspicious, but Taritsu was more aware of the adult telling him to keep away for his health, rather than to cover up some sort of misdeed he wanted to keep secret. '_Never again. I should have left a notice on the door._'

"Why not?"

"It's unorganized." Vejita spat quickly.

"So? It wouldn't exactly bother me if it still hasn't been cleaned. In fact, I'll clean it for you."

His expression made it look as if he saw a ghost. "No—you needn't bother yourself with that! You'd be tolled by the fever, and it may turn out into something worse if you do heavy activity. I'll clean it for you instead."

"But you are still using a cane, 'jita."

'_Damn, how can I beat him there?_' He knew the boy would use that, but his reflection allowed him to cleverly devise a quick solution. "It's not much of a bother. I've been training rigorously over the past several days. Cleaning that room wouldn't be so difficult as compared to what I've been doing."

Taritsu seemed to have bought the response, but the Pioneeri male was more afraid of the fact he'd figure him out. Sure, moving objects and housework wasn't something he'd degrade himself to prioritizing—even in his own home! However, what he was finicky about was being caught in being involved in questionable situations; Taritsu had enough evidence of his attitude to know why he'd be flustered and so insistent—especially since he had scolded him before for almost being involved in the activity with that college student before. '_Honestly, how is it possible that this boy is rejected by his peers, but the older demographics accept him? I swear he's just making a fool out of me by keeping silent about THAT._'

"Just wait with Kakarotto while I'm gone. Both of you better not do anything stupid, either!"

"I won't," Charlotte promised him, but instead of calming the adult it caused him to blow up in anger.

"I know you wouldn't. The clown is the one who gets into trouble, so you are innocent of these crimes, Kakarotto."

* * *

Entering the "cleaned" sauna, Taritsu took in the fresh scent of cinnamon.

{_You're certainly calm about this, Taritsu. You know no one is holding you up to this; none of us would judge you if you back out._}

Chuckling under breath, he felt flattered that Nora had voiced her concerns over the two-way radio set. Her intellect had concluded that it was plausible to beat the virus, especially after running the simulations once more on her programs, but she was having second thoughts since she accounted a few facts that Vejita had laid out. For one, because he had already done the transformation before but had not eradicated everything that plagued him, the virus could have already gained an immunity.

"Yeah, I would if it weren't for the fact that Gramps has announced that we assembly our armies. To be honest, Vejita, it's pretty amazing what responsibilities and progress our society has managed over the years. To think—it only took that incident to amass a standing, optimal army in less than a day. I'm not a general, nor a fan of war, but past experience has taught me that there must be someone who stands against the toughest of advocates. I have you to thank for that—so thank you. For being there when I was a kid."

His cheeks brightened a deep red at the compliment. Of course he came to the kid's help; had he not, then he would have been punished by his father! {_I wouldn't have expected any less of a gushy answer from a dweeb like you. Seems your memory is truly affected if you see me as some sort of hero back when you were four; all I was doing was punishing those idiots who strayed from the preferred behavioral path, not because I was looking out for you._}

"Whatever you say, _Frank Castle_." He soon sensed something rather... interesting, to say the least. Smirking as he knew that the topic was one of the things Vejita would prudishly abstain from, Taritsu decided to play the naive fool. "Say, 'jita... you're pretty confident of your advice in romancing women, right? Have you ever interacted with one intimately before?"

Silence.

Neither party responded to one another after that, but Taritsu's imagination and certainty of the older male flustered by the implication was most likely causing him to behave nervously around the others. He wasn't stupid; he expected this as a probability of their interactions, though a slim probability since the adult's attitude of such acts was conservative. '_For all the times you threatened me with my mom, serves you right to feel the guilt, Vejita._'

{_Well... have you, Vejita?_}

'_Oh yeah. I forgot Charlotte was still there._' He scolded himself for having risked exposing the sexual nature of the comment to his friend, and made a mental note as to regard himself indebted to her for doing so. "Never mind that. Start the clock."

Normally, while the process was underway with scientists and observers monitoring the subject in a closed, private room, they would have the volunteer continue speaking with them to ensure they weren't crucially endangered. It was like that for the first several minutes, and so far his internal body temperature wasn't moving from the norm as of yet. Charlotte's mind began wandering on the premise of his described criteria for the transformation to occur, and while he was correct with everything else he included, the missing tidbit of information was the fact that it happened without him being restricted to energy controlling bracers.

"_That's actually_ _a serious problem, Sharurotto. This idea isn't worth risking his life over. You have to get him out of there!_"

Listening to her brother, Charlotte excused herself from the room and headed towards the sauna. While doing so, she had continued prying her brother for some knowledge—like why he wasn't materializing in person right besides her.

"_Don't worry so much about me. He's going to suffer if we don't get him out of there._"

"No. I want to see you, frere. Normally you'd appear next to me in person, never speak to me in my mind. Something is amiss, and I won't betray Taritsu's wishes if he chooses to do this. I trust he knows what he's doing, because he's the—."

"_Smartest person you know? He isn't any different from normal people, even if he's extraordinary. Send a child to live among the beasts of the wild, he'll think like those beasts. The same goes for him; he's still limited by human thinking. Him being in there will make him lose his composure, and when he does, he'll immediately find himself flooded by—._"

The sudden yell that interrupted was all Charlotte needed to know of what the speaker was saying was true. Even if she doubted the identity, the intention to save Taritsu convinced her to break open the door, and pull him out. The steam thick and heavily obscuring one's vision, she tried her best to make her way towards her friend, and succeeded in doing so. He was massively drowsy from the effects he had been exposed to in the sauna, but the attempt to induce himself the fever did not go to waste; they had succeeded.

"It's okay. I got him out, and he's already feverish. He needs to rest, and quickly!"

She began assuring him he was safe, but Taritsu continued to mumble random nonsense due to his state of mentality. Not well accustomed to this, she figured the best way to get him back alert was to smack his cheeks lightly, which did well to get his attention and break away from his stupor. Unfortunately, she did not know why he had become deranged all of a sudden.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"


	42. Chapter 42

**Arc III**

**Chapter 18**

**The Psychopomp?**

* * *

To get the adolescent resting in a bed required having to knock him unconscious. The nonsensical rambling and terror in his eyes as he shouted that _"it_" get away from him scared them out of their minds. Vejita had succeeded in subduing him, but the method used was not favorable to the other two. Still, Nora was curious as to what had happened to cause him to act differently.

"It's not natural for someone to be like that, especially since he usually is reserved." Nora pried once again, but merely brought the young adult to scoff at her naivety.

"The concern is acknowledged, woman. Even though you have a background in the sciences, there is still the fact that he induced a fever, and those have been known to release one's inhibitions." He knew that it did; why else would he had cringed at the moment the boy grabbed onto his ankle to retaliate, digging what were his fingers that were transitioning to their angular claw-like state? "My father has read the PTSD studies, which have been found to exist in people who AREN'T involved with the military or battlefield regularly. If anything, Taritsu has cracked under the pressure of his bottled stress, anticipating what he'd do first when he recovered to optimal health."

Down casting her gaze from the revile Vejita had done, Nora regretted having left Taritsu with so much responsibilities. She could have alleviated him of some, but she never bothered to ask him of his psychological health. "Then sleep is what he needs most right now. We're just lucky your kick was able to land. Last thing we need is news going around of him ACTUALLY showing signs of insanity."

The joke was well received, bringing them all to laugh nervously. While the others took the moment to review the plans, Charlotte started losing herself in her thoughts, wondering how and why this happened. Firstly, she wondered why her "_brother_" had been insistent of her getting him out of the room, and secondly—she wondered why he kept saying they keep away from him.

'_I could have sworn tears welling up in his eyes. As if he felt guilty of something_—_especially since he kept telling frere he was sorry._' She contemplated his reason for having acted so strangely, then realized that part of his reasons could have been a repression of memory resurfacing. '_Why exactly was it triggered though?_'

"_Curious as to **why** Taritsu was behaving in that manner?_"

'_YOU AGAIN! I knew you weren't frere; he would have showed himself to help, of course, but why are you so concerned with him? You keep telling me that we can make him ours, but you sometimes tell me to do this, and other times strain my mind with obsessive thoughts. What's your angle here?_'

The entity within Charlotte's mind chuckled maniacally, having anticipated that they'd have a conversation similar to this someday. "_My **reason**? I don't need a reason to want him. My **goal** really doesn't concern you, for it isn't any ordinary goal. However, you could say after years of observing you all, I've come to appreciate Rutabaski. And what I intend by making him "OURS"... well, it's to ensure he doesn't **stray** from his values. See, Rutabaski's potential **can** lead to the completion of my goal, but after the time I've spent among with you... I guess the emotions you feel are starting to **taint** me. Think of it as "thanks" for having shown that there are alternative methods to my species' attempt to save existence. Just don't press your luck._"

*_Clomp Clomp Clomp_*

The door gently opened behind them, startling the three to see the instigator of the action awake. It simply wasn't at all possible to have recovered so easily from that hit, but he had awoken minutes after. Additionally, he didn't seem to remember much of what happened, only that he was last resting in the sauna and simply rested his eyes.

"How long was I napping?"

He viewed the three, expecting a reply to his question, but instead he met with the awestruck looks of Vejta and Nora. Turning to eye Charlotte, he asked her his question once more, albeit in a much more, tamer demand than before.

"T-ten minutes. Are you sure you're alright? You couldn't have broken a fever in such a short amount of time, you know." Her anxious question stemmed from the fact she met with his glare, one which clashed with his nature. For reasons she couldn't quite describe, it seemed as if he was staring through her, checking to see if there was something amiss. Fortunately, that left him with his typical brilliant half smile replacing the look. '_W-what happened to his bruise? There was a bruise that Vejita left on him, and now it's gone._'

"Couldn't be any better." He stated, fixing his chosen attire for the mission and ignoring the instinct to flinch. The white gloves which he borrowed from Vejita were now a snug fit for him, but he was absentminded of the fact he had taken the property of the older male. Not like he actually cared of that trivial article of clothing this point anyway. "So how are we going to do this?"

"_Hah?_ Didn't you already plan it out beforehand?" Vejita critiqued, recalling that the boy stated that Sparks would look into things for him. If anything, he should have been asked about what to do next, not Vejita. Besides, he still wasn't exactly ready to go out with the young Rutabaski on a mission. "And another thing: how are you certain that you won't tire in midst of the mission? Recovering from ailments don't exactly mean you aren't relieved of symptoms. They could still be within you, and that could relapse."

"Vejita."

The simple call out made him raise his eyebrows, indicating he had his attention. With no malice or irritation, his younger companion responded rather... eerily. "I would know if I were risking myself. Now the chances of success has risen to a satisfying forty percent. It'd be higher if you join me."

"Wait. Kakarotto was going with you prior to this, but you didn't bother to warn us?!"

He sighed, placed his left hand over his eyes and mumbled in frustration of the animosity he was receiving from his supposed lack of respect by failing to inform them. "_Yare, Yare_... Kakarotto wasn't going to join me in the first place. I was thinking of heading there with you, but now that I have an idea of how I am now... I'm pretty confident I can take them on by myself. Guess it's settled; I'll beat them all on your behalves."

"FORTY MEASLY PERCENT—are you out of your mind?! How are you confident of your own ability after that? You know nothing of their base of operations, nor are you even certain what your new limits are. What would you do if they capture you, clown?"

At that statement, Taritsu began chuckling once again. Vejita knew what he was talking about, so he knew why he gave such a number and remained confident of his skills. Of course, Vejita also knew he had no idea what Taritsu had considered in his evaluation, so he found it irritating to see his old friend pleased with his frustration. "If your concern is about the organization, then it must be reassuring to you that I'd obliterate them. Not even a stray bullet would hit me with my current state of ability."

That left them all wondering what he was getting at.

"What I'm considering in my mind is the possibility of Bane being there. It's frightening to see what he might do, though I did survive his attack from last time. Were it not for the fact I pushed my stamina to its limits that day, Kakarotto wouldn't be standing here with us. I'm afraid he's someone I can't avoid. Now, though... with this power I'm feeling—this grand surge of energy coursing through my veins—I can see what compelled him to fight me. The need to face a challenger worthy to test my unknown limits is rather nerve-wracking, _so much that I'm... afraid of what may happen._" He muttered the last part, but only Charlotte happened to catch it.

A quick beeping indicated the work Anthony was doing for him was already done. Pulling out his encyclopedia device, the boy looked over all of the work his companion had provided, detailing the top locations he had to check out for the mission. One of them obviously stood out, but only because it was actually involved simply because Anthony had a suspicion of the medical technologies the country had available. '_Impressive. That does meet all the criteria, and no one would suspect to search for them there since the continent is bordering Falyen, so everyone's interest is invested in the struggle for power taking place there._'

"Looks like Serbia's the lucky candidate. Only 1286 miles away." He began stretching his legs and pulling his arms as he'd normally do before getting ready to run. Then he placed on his wrists the webshooters he recently modified for the mission, knowing that he would need all the aid he could get from the tool without killing any kidnapped persons. "Look, I don't expect you to join me just because I ask, but please tell grandfather I'll be okay."

His words were convincing and reassuring. The effectiveness of his speech were now on par with the charisma of a likable person, like his father, that one could even mistake the two as the same person had they not known their traits and tendencies. However, while Vejita did agree with him on keeping that promise, he still wondered what the adolescent would do in case he ran out of stamina later on. He received an answer via a written note on the furniture next to them indicating he took snacks.

"_That damn clown._" Vejita whispered, smirking as he took the paper and let out a sigh. "Woman. What exactly do these so-called Serbian '_medical machines_' that Taritsu bought for his experiments do?"

"I'm sorry, okay. Geez."

* * *

"One more left, Ivo."

The report of the situation was pleasing to Johnstonii. While he didn't exactly hold any expectations of the Rutabaski clan getting out of their way, he was pleased on the reliable actions they were committing at the moment. On one side of the continent, they had the headquarters of the WUSS organization having to fight for their lives, overwhelmed by both their massive grouping of top performing agents and soldiers, along with the unforeseen assistance of that green giant—whatever it was referred to as.

"Mmm? Ah, yes. Your allies are having trouble of their own I see. You could have helped them by telling them of that double agent in their ranks, but I suppose its better this way too. The chaos that riled up is certainly enough of a diversion for you to extract whatever files they've been keeping secret."

Johnstonii did not mean to do it. He was pleased to know that his closest ally was supportive of the progress he was making, but he was conflicted by his sudden change of priorities. It seemed as of lately he had no interest in asking how the other projects were going about. For one, they had a team within a Internet/Computer Software company with plans to assimilate as much services as possible to spy on the world remotely, another involved researching the behavior of each nation superpower's culture, and yet another—led by Amphalo—was determined to transform Sagratia into a puppet government. Hell, Ernest and several others of his caliber were actually working on productive matters that Ivo should be enthusiastic about, especially since it involved developing technology capable of rivaling the Rutabaski brat's speed!

Yet it seemed that he was much more interested in what the clone could do.

Was he even aware of his reason for the clone anymore? Does he not care for Saccha?

"Ivo... I'm curious, but why—?"

He rose his hand up, silencing the younger Tsufuru as he wasn't allowing him to focus on the recorded reports he had to review. Taking off his spectacles and placing them on the table next to him, he let out an exasperated sigh and rubbed his temples to recover his tired vision. "Check it, Johnstonii. Project Shadow is improving by the day."

In the video, he could see the hopeful look of the clone, glad to have been let out for once for some exercise. He seemed excited to engage in a fight with a worthy challenger, but what confused Arlo much more than the fact his closest ally was engrossed in this was the fact that there appeared to be a clone of the Rutabaski brat as well...wielding a gun?

"What is this?"

"_What do you take me for? Do you expect me to fight someone as lowly as this impostor? I expected a challenge, not this...fake copy._"

"It can speak?! This is rather new..."

{_We're aware of that, yes. Just as we're aware that you wish to have a challenge. Reality, however, doesn't comply with our wishes. See, we can't bring you the boy_—_._}

"_Then allow me to leave and fight him._"

{_That would mean leaving Rommyces. You wouldn't want to do that now, would you?_}

He grunted, defeated by the scientist's reasoning. No, he didn't want to leave the girl alone. She was his beloved "sister", and he didn't dare to abandon her just to satisfy his wishes.

{_Good. You understand, so I guess telling you wouldn't be much of an issue if you are willing to stick around. See, our technology isn't capable of replicating the entirety of the boy's ability into a perfected copy. There's a massive power difference when you compare him with... this._}

The slumped figure of the cloned copy laid motionless, though there was still a slight tremble that indicated it was alive.

"_Perfect the technology then; I shall wait till it is finished._"

{_Shadow! It is advised you continue to fight. Even though they may not be the original, we are confident that each clone will learn from their predecessor's defeat. The 50th copy would likely last ten seconds, and the 500th a full round. We have the resources to do this about ten thousand times, perhaps even more. By the time you're near that number, the challenge you are looking for will finally arise. Please... comply with the experiment._}

"Johnstonii," Ivo couldn't help but laugh at the expense of his comrade. It really was amusing to see how his reaction to what he just saw was caused by witnessing the extermination of a clone. The clone of his nemesis, no less. "I thought working with those of the Organization taught you to de-sensitize yourself."

"Yes, but I never would have imagined you'd commit our resources to pleasing the damned clone! What are you thinking; we could have made an army if we had the capability of doing this! Not to mention framing..."

He shook his head and clicked his tongue in response. Ivo knew what he was doing, and Arlo was simply outraging from jealousy of his clever thinking. Had they devoted their time to raising an army with the genetics, they would have utterly failed. "Ah—_Johnstonii_. Don't forget we still have access to the WUSS leader: Priestess Rida's fascinating _Elder Blade_ that she lent us. We could raise more armies with the blade—subjects with abilities like Epsilon-15 or volunteer Jet Zaho. Besides: we needn't frame the boy; others will take the initiative. _Trust me_."

* * *

The fallen clump of mass that they shot down was irrecognizable. They didn't even know the object's origin.

Seeing that it required the intelligence of someone amazing, one of them began reporting the findings via radio. "Commander, we located the crash site, but there's no one here."

{_Can you at least confirm what it was?_}

"I think it was a drone, Commander."

{_No. Had it been that then it wouldn't have been moving so fast. We're fortunate that we had the technology to intercept it, but I'm interested in finding out what it was._}

A small canister caught the man's eye, seeing it attached to it. He didn't know what it was, but it somehow survived the missile explosion that brought the object down. The other agents beside him were also interested in seeing what it was, but once they were in proximity—they discovered that it was simply a trap.

"I'll be borrowing these." Spoke the adolescent as he shot webbing at their mouths and took their pass cards and uniforms. Then, noticing the radio, he decided to grant the enemy a warning. "I'm not one to forgive people like you, but I'm really not in the mood to incapacitate an entire army. If you simply let those kidnapped prisoners go, there won't be much trouble."

{_W-who is this? Do you know who you're talking to, boy? WUSS doesn't compromise with idealists; we crush their dreams to open eyes for one to understand how the world works. I suggest you get going and run back to whatever hole you crawled out of and live out the rest of your pathetic life, or my subordinates will be the end of you._}

"_Yare yare daze_... you're one to talk." Taritsu said, then crushed the radio in his hand. Turning to see the frightened soldiers, he stripped off the webbing from the mouth of the one he took the radio from.

"The material I caught you all in will dissolve in twenty minutes. Reinforcements that are following me will be here in thirty minutes. Since you're all just followers, I'm not going to harm you. I only have a few questions, so if you satisfy my curiosity, I'd let you all go."

"I understand. Ask away—."

"If any of you does attack me, I will retaliate. I don't know if you can comprehend the idea of what it feels like to run at Mach 10, but I guarantee you will find out what it feels to be thrown at such a speed." His words caused them all to pay attention to him, worried for their lives as he had boasted a great deal with that. Satisfied they wouldn't think about martyrdom, he began his interrogation. "What can you tell me of an orange serum?"

* * *

To have avoided the explosions for this long had been a thrill for Alberto. Since he, Vincent, and Luke had been called up to join the collaborative effort to dismantle the organization HQ, they really had no objections once they busted inside the facility. Unfortunately for them, their enemy was crazy prepared and could have instantly eradicated them effortlessly... had Kingston not drawer their attention away.

"Hey Sparks. Amanda would be thrilled to experience this; it's basically like one of those fabled level 10 missions in here. Where is she anyway?"

Gritting his teeth as he impacted with the ground, Alberto dashed forward between the sentries that had been shooting at him and blew up their automatic rifles as he recalled what their missing teammate had told him. "Miles apparently needed someone to keep an eye on Rutabaski. She's been doing that for a while now, so he appreciated her work. According to her, the kid's considered a member."

"You mean like us?"

"Perhaps you can say that."

The grunts and sound of metal clanging against armor brought the two to notice Sedrick and Yanagi Rutabaski working together as a team to keep the enemy from ganging up on their allies. While they had them distanced away from them a good several meters, the soldiers pouring in on their side made sure to cover their blind spots by tasing and tossing the sneakier WUSS soldiers over the railing of the entry floor. It wasn't as if they needed assistance, but the duo did appreciate the reciprocation of aid as they allowed everyone else to clear and set up a temporary base. What did catch the attention the most, though, was how Sedrick hoisted his wife with his shield, allowing her the aerial coverage she needed to take out hidden magnetic mines that Alberto almost made a mistake of getting too close.

She was caught before falling below the current floor thanks to her husband's reliance, seeing as he was capable of performing an intercepting long jump. Honestly, they seemed more like an acrobatic pair than fighters, but there really wasn't much for them to complain.

What they were more concerned with was the presence of Kingston, seeing as Miles had previously ordered his subordinates to capture the man, and that was confusing their associates with the fact that they'd either let him be, or shoot him as well. In all their experience, that wasn't a good idea to do, but the outraged giant had caused a lot of the opposing soldiers to flee from their mech suits as they found fighting him a fruitless effort.

"Then again, Nick Miles did say that the kid is responsible for taking Kingston down. Just glad the beat down was only enough to defeat his enemy, and not kill anyone. Wouldn't want to be the one pissing Rutabaski off now."

* * *

'_Since these people are released, all that's left is the serum. But where is it?_'

He fired another spurt of webbing to blind the assailant who tried blocking the fleeing prisoners from escaping, and leapt from his position to keep them from maiming the guy out of shared anger. If anything he learned from Xetsu was held as a universal rule, it was indeed the fact that a majority's shared feelings would always be expected of an oppressed group. It didn't matter their nationality, age, culture, or gender; they'd always see to it that someone be the scapegoat.

"Get out of here! There's no time for revenge, and neither should you waste your time risking your lives!"

"Who are you to say who does and doesn't serve justice!?"

"They'll get what they deserve. Now get going. If you die then what would have been the point in me freeing you all? Appreciate this liberation, and don't waste it for vengeance."

With them now gone, he felt relieved to blitz through the building without worrying about leaving someone behind for the experimentations the scientists were going to perform. While his max speed potential was pretty high, he didn't dare to tap into using much more than subsonic speed. He may have been grateful for his modified shoes that allowed him to run faster than normally possible as well, but there were unfortunate drawbacks that would eat at him whenever he did go faster than his preferred cruising velocity. Perception was an issue, especially since the building wasn't roomy enough, but another was the fact that changing directions would cause him to skid around for a few moments. It had almost caused him his head several moments back, especially since the organization was adjusting to respond towards where he'd likely head towards. One of the floors had an entire wall lined up with gunmen, but he merely smirked at the challenge they were providing him with.

Like the games he and his father would play when they had to stay indoors, he calculated the path he needed to take and dodged every bullet, blade, and grenade, allowing the men to suffer from their own actions as they shot the other soldiers chasing after him from another room.

'_The more I explore this place, the more dangerous these guys are becoming. Yet still no sign of that serum. Man, if I weren't the sole chance for taking down their projects, I'd probably be enjoying this_—_nope. I'm actually excited by failure looming over me._'

"Speedster." The voice made him skid to a halt as he tried his best to avoid falling on his face like the first time he had done so. It was the man he spoke over the radio with, and it seemed he hadn't been displeased with he was doing. Rather strange, especially since he just outperformed a vast majority of his army and disrupted their project by liberating the prisoners. "It seems you've improved over the last several days. Impressive, especially since it's only been—what—a prototype that beat you unconscious?"

The mocking smile made him growl. He didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing him bothered by his taunting, but apparently he was able to see his expression from that distance. Even without a running start, he was certainly confident that he could jump from his current position and punch a hole right through him, but him standing there without any protection could have been a dangerous trap.

"Our methods for the process has improved thanks to the _Fifth-batch generation_ trial run with Bane. Now, you will see what superiority a true Eudoran can deal if the right genes are manipulated. We will defeat you, and leave you for Deus!"

The walls crumbled besides them, letting out six of the already modified prisoners that Taritsu was unable to find. While the tragedy was that they were unable to be saved in time, he found it amusing that the first victim they targeted was him. Hearing his tone change was hilarious, but also a reminder of the fact that he couldn't ignore saving them.

"—YAAARGH!" A seventh, less ferocious being broke through, and punched the stray experimented prisoner before it could end the Commander's life. With a quick burst of Hadou energy, the green light he had with him caused the prisoner to crumble apart before dying, with him gasping in exasperated breaths as he was unable to tolerate the technique as he used to.

"Where's the cure?!"

"There's nothing of that sort, Bane. We went over this."

"I'm no longer able to live my life because of this! You ruined me... but if you die, then no one else would need to suffer!" He boomed as he began glowing.

"No—STOP!"

* * *

The journey towards where Taritsu had gone was uneventful, but certainly not without gratitude in having waited the necessary time needed for Vejita's recovery. They were fortunate that it didn't take as long as they thought.

Yet, as they anticipated that the adolescent had everything under control, they witnessed the untimely explosion which engulfed the entire base of WUSS enhancements faction.

"Over there. He's still alive!"

Ripping out of the safety of his makeshift cocoon, Taritsu cleaned off the bits that had entangled with the child he saved. Around him, he saw the ruins of what had been the facility base... as well as the dying forms of the serum affected individuals he couldn't protect. No one could have survived the blast unless they had a means to protect themselves.

That was the reason why Taritsu's eyes bucked as he saw Bane standing there, unaffected and bellowing in an insane rage before charging towards the surviving soldiers as he stomped in the skulls of those who fell during his attack. He was bent on killing all the followers who hid behind a sturdy structure for safety.

Angered and restless, they ruined what quality of life he had left, and he would ensure that they would immediately face the consequences. Screams could be heard from men fleeing for their lives, but that was all futile. Others tried shooting at him, but he was unaffected. It was a mindless massacre on his behalf, but even as it was justified by their crimes... the Rutabaski primogeniture did not dare standby and allow him to do as he wished.

"Get out of the way, Rutabaski. It's time they die for the atrocities they've brought forth upon our people."

He didn't dare listen. No—he heard him, but made the conscious choice of not giving in to the mantra established by tradition. Moving into a stance, he made certain to keep his enemy distracted long enough for him to tire out... or so that was the plan. With each passing moment, his power seemed to rise higher than before, making his wrists bend out of the way as he wasn't strong enough to hold out. While he was bruised and severely injured, signs of inflammation did not happen to last any longer than a blink of an eye. The same went with the pangs of pain he felt passing through; yet those were temporary compared to the ever alarming gap in power between them during their fight.

"You shouldn't do this! What about the Saiyan's code of Honor?"

He laughed maniacally at the attempt to dissuade him from his determined extermination. While he was truly not giving fighting him like before, his behavior and actions were indeed indicative that the personality was none other than the same person he had assumed was under the mask. "Who are you to lecture me of pride; you who has ignored the calling of our ancestors, the responsibility of our culture. They... they hold nothing to redeem themselves of this injustice. These men of science dare to save everyone by creating a race that can never be defeated by all others in the known world. In doing so, they will ruin us all; this is my duty, Rutabaski. If I, the one who took the enhancement to simply see if it is true that our people may once again thrive, should turn my back on this now...THEN MY PURPOSE AS A SAIYAN IS WORTHLESS!"

"We can fix this! I can find us a solution to all this. There are always alternatives—!"

"And what then? Risk another group of extremists take over and make everyone assimilate into a wretched species?" Bane countered. He soon kneed him in the stomach and brought him over to his eye level, struggling harshly with the compelling drive to beat him to a pulp and snuff his life. Sensing this, Taritsu automatically kicked his side of the head, with the only result that occurred was his mask ripping off from the force. Now showing his true identity for him to see, the boy saw in awe as the predictions were correct.

"You speak of honor as it were bad, but the truth is that everyone has a sense of it in some form or another. I know not what honor you have within you, but what I do know is that your worth as a Saiyan is nil. You have the audacity to consider yourself human, but that would mean turning your back on our people's history and culture. It sickens me to know that you—a monster of logic detached and unaware of his emotions—is better than I. There's never a victor in this war we fight; not if individuals as capable as you insist on following the path of a pacifist."

"You know nothing of what I've been through!"

It was at that comment that he snapped. His eyes fixed in his fist propelling towards him, and allowed himself to react instinctively, drawing on his anger and throwing his fist through Brolli's torso. Neither of them said a word as his arm had dug deep into his body, but what was worse than him slowly realizing that his attack, Brolli's attack...was not aimed at him.

His outstretched arm grabbed the transformed child that Taritsu had saved, and killed it with a green blast before collapsing on his knees. Shock could not describe the torment and disgust he felt at the moment, but what did make things worse, was how Brolli continued to speak as he was deteriorating from his own hadou.

"Rather saddening thought, isn't it? To think that I, a lowlife who had no choice in all his years, could achieve peace of mind in his last, ragged breaths. I guess this is why you value innocence and choose to abstain from violence. It was noble that you saved that child, but... each of the prisoners were already doomed from the start."

"They can't survive solar rays. The most common thing that will happen is if they are incompatible, then they'll die before anything goes underway. Those who do live past that, will soon be destroyed by the desert climate; all part of their plan to control them, _neh Brolli_?"

Laughing whilst tolerating the pain, Brolli replied rather gently. "I'll be honest and tell you out right that I would have killed you, given the chance. It was right for you to distrust me, and for that... I am grateful. I've confirmed the truth. It is an honor to even have a chance to fight you—thrice! You have the power... The malicious hadou that you drew on to protect yourself. There may be some hope for this world."

_"Keep fighting for it. Though I don't know why myself—I consider you the closest I have of a true friend."_

He couldn't comprehend why the would-be killer of his friend who die by his hand had took his last breaths—filled with pride. Though he initially had wrote it off as a natural response to preserve his own life, hearing Brolli's words made his stomach twist and drop his anger—ending his transformation. Twice now, a person had ended up dead because of him. Twice had their last actions been to save him, but he knew not what he could do about it. A monster of logic? It certainly described him well, but he didn't care of what was meant by that. Neither did he care that the organization's faction was destroyed because of their scuffle. What he held in his mind was possibly saving those unfortunate prisoners who were doomed to die, but he had no clue of how to save them.

'_C-could my blood... heal them._'

He raced quickly to catch up to all he could recall having liberated, but as he came up to each, giving them his blood only seemed to weaken them severely. It seemed his own cells were drastically overwhelming, and they passed out before being coerced to adjust to his genetics to combat the effects. By the time he reached his 97th patient, he had grown rather intolerant of his ineffectual attempts.

"Mauricio!?"

He heard his grandfather call him, dumbfounded to see him there. Due to his speed, they had thought that it was not him, but a missile traveling towards the location of the facility. It certainly looked like a bombing raid had happened here, and it was easily mistaken by his grandfather and the others who finally arrived as well to fight the enemy that he was trying his best to help the survivors. What they thought was most likely false, and he knew it.

"_Padrone_. It isn't wise to stay around here when there could be more incoming attacks. Let us take the injured victims and leave immediately."

"I understand." Johannes responded, knowing that there might be stragglers nearby. He was glad his grandson had led the prisoners to safety, but reaching out his hand calling him over to join them didn't go as planned. There among them was his friends that he cared for and did not want to bring calamity upon. He did not trust himself, nor did he think himself as highly as he used to. They were transfixed on his bloodied clothing, while Charlotte's eyes looked at another interest, amplifying his guilt. Yet worst still than the echoing words of his victim... was the familiar figure that loomed nearby his loved ones.

The entity he saw in the sauna, who carried a foreboding, cryptic aura.

**IT WAS LIKE A REAPER OF SOULS HAD COME TO COLLECT THEIR LIVES FOR HIS PENANCE!**

'_I won't allow any more lives to suffer for my sake. THEY_ _WERE ALL CORRECT IN THEIR HATRED FOR ME!_'

Turning away as he was fearing for their lives, he rejected his grandfather's invitation and began running. His destination was not set, but he knew to run far. Away from everything he cared for.

He had encountered an entity borne in _Abandoned Memories_—one which had been watching them.


	43. Adolescence

Being late for classes weren't acceptable for the Levy heir.

She had never once been one to have taken them lightly, as it was never a luxury that her family recognized. She was currently biking down hill and accelerating at an alarming rate, shaving off precious time in order to arrive; her only problem was how she did not see the carts crossing into her path in time.

"LOOK OUT!"

_Shoooosh_

A blue blur intervened before trouble would befall. From one instance, she was accepting of the fact she'd collide, however much a burden it would have been for her. Finding herself on the other side, off of her bike was unexpected and befuddling; the few who were in the area had looks of pity and displeasure upon seeing that she was the one riding down hill, but upon making eye contact, left her alone.

'_That was weird._' She had never really made others dislike her on purpose. Peers that hated the feeling of being inferior to her knew why that was so, and normally they'd take a chance to acquire tutoring lessons off of the teen genius.

However, university life was different.

* * *

"_...and so, 45 miles of nerves are by the skin of one's body..._"

The lecture wasn't anything new to her. She knew and could write a ten page paper within the week, but her mind was teetering towards the incident earlier, wondering what happened. She was certain, indubitably certain she would crash. Yet still... she managed to avoid it somehow.

_Why?_

"...before you all leave, I have a quick announcement to make on behalf of exciting news for the university. An alumni from the biology department has returned from his excursion recently, and he plans on acquiring the rest of the degrees we offer for Life Science. He says he'll just need a few months to complete this, but don't think this a laughing matter. In fact, try to acquire some studies off of him for your benefit. As a Rut—"

The doors opened before the instructor could finish, but instead of criticizing the instigator, Nora witnessed as the ones entering were none other than the campus leaders and student body president. They had arrived to gather the evenings participating instructors, as they had decided in testing their challenger's abilities before he made fools out of them. As such, it only took a few moments for all of the interested undergraduates to attend the scene by the amphitheater, watching intently as they awaited for the alumni to show up.

"_Oi_, Nora. So you're interested in knowing who it is as well? I heard he's the youngest person to graduate from the university thus far, and yet he's returned to acquire more degrees. Then again, it might be because he's trying to out do his great grandfather..."

"No, no, no. I'm just curious what all the commotion is about."

The audience silenced once laying eyes upon the young alumni; they had seen him around months ago, but most were not entirely certain if it was the same person. Those who did remember him... had been astounded to see that he had a larger amount of confidence in himself, as if the meek and quiet nerd that he was before had mellowed out to reveal what sort of secrets remained hidden beneath his dorky attitude. His appearance wasn't at all that much different, for he still wore the same clothing he had before; what did stand out—even more so for Nora—was how he remained standing before the professors with an air of suaveness.

"LET'S MAKE THIS QUICK. WE'LL EACH GIVE YOU TWO QUESTIONS; ANSWER THEM ALL AND YOU'D PRACTICALLY GAIN THE CREDITS FROM OUR RESPECTED CLASSES. MISS ONE AND YOU'LL BE REQUIRED TO ASSIST US IN RESEARCH."

"Fair enough."

* * *

"How did you know how to solve that last part, fratellino?"

The likelihood of being invited into the same group that managed to stop Taritsu Rutabaski and get him to join for their study session was something Nora didn't want to bother with. As fate would have it, he answered all sixteen questions with relative ease, even giving the professors corrections on the phrasing of their questions as he noticed they did not state what they meant. As for the final question, it had to do with the human chemical pathways and what effect nicotinic acid had upon it. It wasn't at all difficult for him.

"Niacin, or vitamin B3, is essential and has sensitive effects if your levels are slightly off. It's useful for arthritis pains, but I'm not a fan of the natural miracles the human body can do."

"But aren't you a biologist? Why would you diss it off?"

"There are a lot of people that regard it as simply a machine. In all essence, it's more in line with that, but as an organic collaboration of organ systems, your body is much more receptive to its environment than you naturally are. If anything, it would be a milestone for my mind to achieve the same level of awareness."

"—So in other words... you envy it?"

Nora didn't mean to speak, she hadn't plan for it, but her interests were piqued. How could this boy disregard scientific knowledge so easily when it came to unveiling the mysteries of the physical self?

The truth of the matter was that he was a scientific genius when it came to life sciences and all he found interesting. Subjects he paid lesser attention towards did not have the same treatment, but were learned for the sake of referencing it later. If he were naive or a simplistic fool, he would have stated out right that he didn't care. There was little he didn't know when it came to knowledge, but to be specific, the boy was only a master when it came to studying his favorite scientific subjects.

Everything else was mediocre.

"Not that I have problems with the study of human anatomy. To me, if I were to obtain all the degrees possibly offered in time, then I would be able to freely look into the research with little disregard to what I should be responsible for. I've marked 125 degrees as my goal by this summer, and I've already acquired 19 over the last two weeks; I'm not so much interested in studying something grounded in the natural, observable laws. The human anatomy is great an all, but if I were to summarize what I'm trying to say, then... Beautiful is what we see. More beautiful is what we understand. Most beautiful is what we do not comprehend."

"I wish to acquire that point of knowledge, to where it is no long restricted to me of what I can and can't look into because I am not qualified."

* * *

Having now acquired 97 degrees in time for his birthday was satisfying for the boy. Not only was he going to focus on the rest with more devotion, but he was also nearing completion for his History PhD.

'_The skeletal remains we happened to find was fortunate for my case. I'm not sure if it'll be possible, but the theories I have on our ancestors having tails would be interesting discussion topics._'

"_Magistri_ Mauricio, your mother has given us permission to do as we'd like for the next three hours. She explicitly stated we are not to get too ahead of ourselves, but if we'd be comfortable enough, then she is willing to accept whatever decision we have in starting your future"

There was Paula's reminder of his mother's interference within their relationship again. For months now, Paula had been taken in under their care and considered part of the family; she had everything she needed, but strangely did not wish for anything of her own. What the girl did seem to have pleasure in was telling others how involved she was to make the family's lives comfortable. She may have not spoken the words, but by the subtle hints she gave off... Taritsu was certain that the girl was dealing with guilt which her father and brother left as inheritance.

'_I'm not falling for those words of seduction. Honestly, how can it be that perfectly devoted MCs declare their life goals and several scenes or chapters later they fall for a female who yield nothing more than fan service? These venomous cancers do nothing but drop the quality of the story by two magnitudes at best!_'

In all seriousness, Taritsu had not regarded seeing the female gender as something he would essentially place all of his frustrations and desires upon. He wouldn't risk his future like that, especially since reality was damn cruel whenever one was unsuspecting. He didn't know why exactly there were people on the internet complaining that "_Life_" itself was a disease, but what he did know was how humorous Vejita could be when ticked off of all the unsuspecting variables he had spent time planning for.

"We don't have to do that which I said. I was merely trying to strike a friendly conversation as your mother suggested, seeing as she told me to check and see if you've matured... I mean, not that you aren't mature, just that she worries if you have any interest in making friends and what not."

Taritsu simply let out a deep sigh. Typical teasing from his mother's behalf; he had simply allowed a girl to make a deal with him back in 1998, one which she wished to out do his cooking skills so that he wouldn't suffer. Not that he didn't care, but neither of them had intended to promise one another marriage. She simply stated that to relieve him of his cursed skills that were of no use for himself.

"Forget it Paula. I'm not in the mood for any miscreant behavior. Come on; I have a colleague to introduce you."

* * *

The Levy household routine was never the same since Nora encountered Taritsu. Since her father found out of the news, he had began sending men to gather information on them. Normally he wouldn't go to lengths as far as he had before, but she hadn't met an acquaintance as volatile to her reputation as Taritsu Rutabaski.

Cornelio Levy was simply too neurotic to see it her way, so much in fact that she had ended up missing school for the week.

"Father, I'd like to speak with mother about my options."

"Your mother would much rather cut ties with you than negotiate. If it is what you want, then so be it, go to her!"

The threats weren't calming down as far as she could tell. For all her years she had known her parents, Dalila Levy was the intense of the two—but she only cared for superficialities that would craft her the most revered reputation. All in all, as a narcissistic mother, she cared little for what occurred in the household... except when it directly affected her!

"_If you wish to bring her wrath upon us, then by all means, Nora._"

"We see eye to eye, Mr. Levy."

The normally youthful voice from the young rutabaski was thick with serious tone. Behind him was a girl about his size, with an appearance rather similar to his that most may mistake them as siblings. However, that was as far as they were genetically incidental.

There was a reason why he was here, but Nora did not fathom why. Until she realized how he may have pieced together the news so easily, she had not felt a fear as great as she had now.

"I will protect your daughter from your wife." He stated. "But..."

_You'll be hating me._


	44. Aiguchi

Yanagi didn't complain about the time elapsed between their departure and arrival at the clinic her father's checkup was.

Hell. Why would she need to complain when the sight before her showed just how little faith she had with leaving her son's side would immediately cause him to relapse and recover memories of the place?

Caron Poloy... the territory found at the base of the mountain valley between the Chapelurean and Boruvian nations. A place she had used to bring her son over and allow him to stay for extended periods—back when she could be wantonly carefree in regarding consequences.

_Because she believed the likelihood was too slim._

"You don't feel bothered in terms of eyesight, Emperor Kaido?"

The boruvian emperor chuckled at the concern, but waved it off as he did not wish to linger any longer. "No, no obstructions to my knowledge, Micha. Though not alarming, I am comfortable with you calling me by my given name; you did a favor for me in regards to my grandson."

The 69 year old laughed along with Daisuke's humorous jab. Micha was not comfortable behaving in such manners with his patients, as it hadn't been someone of Daisuke's caliber that the man was most comfortable with. Granted, he had a few high class friends, the most formidable being the Aiguchi family head, but that was mainly since they had been friends since adolescence. Interacting with the Boruvian Emperor was different—it could cost him in ways one couldn't imagine.

"Er, Doctor?" The voice was quick and direct, laced with a tone of urgency which normally wouldn't exist unless necessary. "Would you mind telling me what my grandfather's problems are?"

Chuckling at the boy's innocent concern, Micha's momentary fear of the boy recalling terrible things subsided as he obliged to the sudden request.

* * *

Aromas of various ingredients caressed the senses of those who happened to await in the next room over. It was normally not an annoyance for anyone to cook in the building without fair warning, but it had been a rude action to take as far as the pinkheaded seven year old was concerned.

The Pawlitzki family was not much worried about it as the child was; it was known that the child's grandfather was attending to an important acquaintance, and the daughter of Micha Pawlitzki was not anywhere near the kitchen. If anything, the seven year old would had known her mother had arrived—first notice.

'_I don't know who's cooking, but the fragrance is everywhere. I must ventilate Aiguchi's room before it overwhelms her._'

Creaking the door open slightly, one could see the soundly sleeping child whom had been left in her family's care. Since their grandparents knew one another, the girl was entrusted enough as the child's attendant. There would be no excuses of her under performance; not when a few days ago the Aiguchis had suffered a devastating personal blow from a person most trusted by them.

Honey blonde locks covered her delicate features while she slept by the grand piano—well intrigued by music as it had been one of Dr. Pawlitzki's wonderful skills. They were fortunate she was distracted by the performances, but with such a fragrance in the air...

—_such fleeting peace would not last._

Sizzling the rest of the ingredients to the ideal state required of the meal, Taritsu began cleaning the station he worked at while awaiting for all of the juices of the _Sweet Potato and Vegetable Red Curry_ to finish before moving onto the final step. He had cooked for a total expenditure of twenty minutes, utilizing all which he could to thoroughly enrapture the flavors and embolden the taste for consumption. Even though he wasn't a professional chef, his skills were virtually perfected without even regarding the idea of taking classes—mostly thanks to how his mother would have him study everything the the slightest detail.

All in all, he was proud of his results, but not so much of his falter once meeting face to face with Dr. Pawlitzki's granddaughter.

"What are you cooking?"

"_What_—this? A nutritional meal."

She eyed the dish in question. It looked somewhat raw and the scent wasn't as she expected for what she saw; it may have smelled great, but that was a red flag for compensating missing qualities in the boy's dish. It was definitely unqualified to be served to any patron who expected meals from here.

"This_ gruel_ is your work? Take the waste you made and get out."

A mistake was made in that very instant. To call the meal useless was something Taritsu could only tell himself; everything he made was tasty and all ended up enjoying it. For it to have been judged so quickly was irritating! It just furthered his dislike for their tendencies to justify their superiority in qualities where the opposite was true.

She just had to tick him off.

* * *

"Hmm?"

Noises from the other room were hard to ignore, especially once Aiguchi Yumiko recognized the fragrance of cooking. She had little idea of what time it was, but what she did understand was that there was some sort of argument which was taking place by the sound of the owners' tones. As she expected, her friend, Sugimoto Kaori, was arguing with some boy on the premise of an unfinished recipe. It was most likely that he had tried passing off something incomplete, a mistake that would immediately have his dish thrown away and fired for trying such a stunt. Kaori was most likely trying to get him out as she would not tolerate half-efforts in the kitchen, but Yumiko knew that the punishment he was being assigned was much too lenient.

Her father taught her that much.

"Something the matter here?"

With Micha Pawlitzki now intervening with the two children who have been arguing moments earlier, Yumiko had all but her own meal to achieve satisfaction from the scene. Eyeing Kaori's boring gaze which she directed towards the boy, she began wondering what exactly he did wrong. From what the doctor stated, he was easy on him. In fact, he had asked if the recipe had finished already, to which the reply he received was that it still required a few minutes of _pascalization_... whatever that meant.

'_I'm sure it's just a fancy term for boiling._' She actually did know what it meant, but she couldn't recall the exact name of the term for high pressure processing. '_Well. If Kaori was sure that he was an amateur, then I wouldn't be in much danger if I just take a peek at his_—'

Yumiko soon felt her shoulders pulled back, keeping her away from the dish before she could get any closer. She had never been denied access to a cook's recipe like this before, and much less from someone who she barely respected. For an instant, she found herself glaring at him for obstructing her path and keeping the dish away; she wanted to see the progress herself—but soon after she realized that it was the wrong expression to greet the boy with when he gave her a look comprised of concern and pity.

"Don't interfere with it until it is ready." He muttered, counting down the remaining time in his head. Beside him, she could see Kaori scowling, though reluctantly agreeing with his words as she finally realized that she was judging too soon. The meal required being sterilized for it to work as he intended.

Eventually, Dr. Pawlitzki had decided that enough time had passed for him to serve the nutritious dish to his grandfather.

* * *

"You used pressure to cook this, Kyousuke?" Daisuke had been told many times before that the boy had been a prodigy at whatever he tried his hand at. Academics, business, seminars, technical studies; give him time and a deadline—he'd have a report on it that would satisfy you indeed. "Though I do wonder: Didn't you have more of an interest in biology than cooking? You haven't decided to mellow out in the fervor of life sciences, have you now?"

His attention set at his grandfather, Taritsu cleared his throat before correcting the mistake that the emperor made. Even though it was one thing to say that he loved biological sciences more, speaking of the culinary studies like some sort of inferior lifestyle was a mistake—especially within the Pawlitzki household with the young Sugimoto disciple around.

"Actually, Grandpa... cooking is a practical science which you can experiment with. Applying everything I knew, I decided in creating a dish high in essential oils, nutritive phytochemicals, and stimulative to the epinephrine and norepinephrine systems. These should be the basics needed to flush out your overburdened system, seeing as you have dark rings under your eyes, seem rather fatigue and underweight, as well as that irritating cough that seems to be bothering you. I'm not a doctor, but the research I've done has shown that more than likely you suffer from a poor diet."

"_I see..._" Daisuke was proud to have heard the confident response from his grandchild, but he did feel as if they had insulted Micha by how he nonchalantly explained his problems. Fortunately enough, the doctor didn't mind. In fact, he seemed pleased to know that the boy was assisting, even going as far as providing a meal to address the issue on his own judgement.

Yet even greater than seeing the boy promote health... was helping Micha Pawlitzki show his granddaughter an example of modest attitude—something the girl needed as a medicinal dietitian-in-training.

Tasting part of the dish as she was curious, Yumiko found herself enraptured by the many flavors that had been concentrated and blended within. Each bite she took had a different flavor, depending on what taste buds came in contact with the meal and the manner of which it was chewed. Such a unique aspect of utilization was unknown to Yumiko; she had only known gourmet meals that followed a certain style as her father had previously had her judge the presented dishes for evaluations. No. The dish which she was eating did not follow any style she was familiar with; it was interesting, but certainly—

"Fun and satisfying."

Taritsu, unaware that she had eaten his food, turned to ask what she meant. Feeling self-conscious of repeating herself, she quietly spoke her mind of the dish—explaining how much she was enjoying the dish with the unique style of his cooking. Never had she had any dish from a person who had not stressed her tongue's taste buds.

"I demand you tell me how you did it."

"Why?"

"Such talents are going to waste if not served to those who deserve it. I'd appreciate it if you reveal your secrets, as it better fits my background than yours. It is unfair that someone like you eats regally every day."

Laughter entailed once hearing her assertion. Yumiko could not understand why he was dismissing her claim, but she did feel stung. She would have critiqued him for his attitude, but Taritsu's mother was quick enough to inform Yumiko of his one flaw. A depressing drawback he did not feel was necessary to be pitied for.

"I don't embrace cooking because I can garner perfection; I acknowledge SCIENCE as a prime necessity. It's laughable to expect a cook's best—when really they disregard the platonic forms theory in favor of experimenting. I am unable to savor my own cooking, for I can not withstand the overpowering flavors of my dishes. Chefs pursue perfecting their own style, but my way of cooking usually ends up being inedible for me. It's accursed."

Hearing the words, Yumiko decided on a life decision. She may have detested the dishes of those who did not meet her standards, but she certainly did not wish to see that someone of the boy's caliber suffer from the curse of being unable to enjoy his own efforts. She'd do all possible to assist him.

"I'll make you an offer: I'll look into this problem of yours, and help you overcome it."

"Don't worry about it. I've already accepted it as a natural flaw."

She sighed irritably. How the girl hated such pessimistic attitudes with those who genuinely showed talent. However, if he was this insistent of his own self, then why would she bother trying to help him? She just couldn't standby while the injustice went unsolved.

"No, I insist. You will someday be able to enjoy your cooking. It is too good to just ignore."

"Thanks, but—"

"YOU WILL HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SUCH A REFINED PALATE." She insisted, being touchy upon the subject... though not knowing why. Maybe it was because she found someone who rivaled her capabilities. She didn't exactly know. "...even if this means I'll have to cook for you, for the rest of your life."


	45. Valogna

Do you know what it's like to meet another and mistake them for someone they used to cherish.

—_Only to discover that it is not really them?_

You might know what that is like, and you may forgive them for the minor mistake, because it's simply an honest blunder. Yet, while most do not agonize over this, I am certain that this is my fate. I know it is my responsibility, because I can see it in his glazed, tired eyes.

For his sake... he needs me.

* * *

"I'll be in this meeting today for around 80 minutes. Take care of _Kakarotto_ while I'm gone, alright?"

"Understood dad." Replied the eldest son. Cheisu, being on break from his duties for the week, had no intention of heading out and look for trouble. All he wanted was to rest and spend his time how he wanted, even though looking after the younger sibling was a bit of a buzzkill. Then again, Kakarotto wasn't an annoyance like all the other kids were at that age.

Kakarotto wasn't his brother; no. Rather, the child was indeed his secretive sister whom their father had raised to embrace the tendencies of the male gender. All so that she wouldn't be at a disadvantage by perceived weakness of attitudes and proper responsibilities based on arbitrary societal rules.

Indeed, she was his sister, whereas the real brother who had been named Kakarotto was long since deceased. No one knew about that fact, other than close family and friends—and even then, they kept secrets from their children to protect the fact. For all they knew, Kakarotto was still alive, though how the secret would remain intact until adulthood would be a mystery.

"Cheis?"

Her trembling tone of insecurity brought his heart to pound in anticipation of coddling her; she was too damn cute to let be, especially as he found her warm eyes aesthetically popular. He wasn't sure if it was simply because of her looks, but he was also certain that it wasn't at all from the fact she had an appearance similar to their father—as Baddack had informed them that Kakarotto originally appeared like a carbon copy of himself. It must have been because of their mother, though the most Cheisu remembered of her was how she seemed like a maiden. Not just any, but specifically _The Maid of Orleans_, as Cheisu had perceived it. '_I think I understand how art critics feel about art and beauty._'

He shook away the perverse thoughts, finding them indecent as he was comparing his sister's grey eyes with their mother's amber ones. They just simply could not compete. Both had their own perks, but to compare them would be SCURRILOUS!

"I'm hungry. Could you cook me something?"

There was no option of heading home for Cheisu. The reason for them coming to the convention was because Sedrick Rutabaski requested to see his sister; something to do with her health progress that he had relatively no clue about, but certainly did understand that it was dire. He knew it was no joke; Baddack Valogna—their father—had been heading to hospitals for his personal reasons, but it was all for the family. If there was anything important about it, then it would most likely relate to evaluating what countermeasures they would need to take in order to continue disguising the girl. Either that, or...

"Also, could you teach me some of your fighting techniques later? Pressure striking is really cool."

* * *

It was only for a few moments that passed that Cheisu explained that he was required to check in with BALM as part of his duties, that he did not recognize the two youngsters entering the dining hall.

His sister had no idea how to handle the situation, since she was never told to expect it, but it was certainly a formula for disaster in her mind. He had told her many times before that Taritsu was a frightening person to be around with; he really was.

As a rambunctious child who made calculated decisions to handle uncaring and ruthless competing judgmental fools, anyway.

_Nothing like how he was behaving just recently, conversing with Vejita Pioneeri about video games and what not._

"Wait—we've met before, correct? Ah yes; unmanageable mane of hair, in a style reminiscent of Professor Valogna. You're uncle Baddack's son, Kakarotto; why it's been so long. How have you been Kakarotto? How's auntie Maggie doing?"

Maybe she didn't have to worry so much about him with how things turned out, but Cheisu—knowing that she did not know how to answer—couldn't let things pass by with such potential risks. He had to step in for the sake of his sister.

"_Oi_, Taritsu. Vejita. Long time no see."

Harrumphing as his manner of greeting, Vejita merely acknowledged the young adult as he was not one to be goody-goody. In all honesty, he never really liked what he was doing, seeing as his father was forcing him to look after the kid; the only reason he was tolerating things at the moment was because he wasn't ranting on about science as he usually did. The kid was weird, but at least he had a few interesting tidbits—such as information Vejita was curious about. Particularly zombie first-person shooters and a game which Vejita had trouble managing with.

"Do you mind if I speak with you for a bit? It's really important."

It was only for a few moments that her brother was going to speak with Taritsu, but in those few moments Vejita seemed rather intrigued by the girl. Enough to inquire whether she played any games.

"Sorry about earlier, Kakarotto. I'll speak to you about _King's Field_ Vejita; it's not really _that_ hard, but then again the game's mostly single player." Taritsu stated as he returned after being informed by Cheisu of the sensitive topics he needed to know as Cheisu revealed he was needed by their parents. To think that his aunt died in labor; he would have asked about their little sister, but Cheisu made it seem as if Marguerite had issues on that that lead to both members of the family dying. "So... mind hanging out?"

* * *

Sneaking out of the designated area wasn't recommended for the children, but as Charlotte was roped into it, she had no other choice but to follow him. For as long as her father had spoken to her of the matters of dealing with boys, she understood she needed to prove herself while maintaining her dignity. She had expected Taritsu to do something brash all the while they both went off on their own, but there simply was no desire for that with him.

No, instead, Taritsu had been more curious of checking out the rare flowers out in the garden than doing whatever seven year old boys his age did.

He was definitely weird to the standards Charlotte knew off.

'_Shouldn't he be playing some kind of game?_'

"You know, I'm really not sure what you'd like to do. It's been about five years since we met last time, and I'm not entirely sure what you like."

"I'm not sure about you either; I mean, you don't seem like the kind to like flowers just because they look refreshing..._riiight?_"

Her efforts were not in vain, for it constituted the boy to chuckle at her guess. Pleased with her luck, she decided to expand the conversation from there, but was beaten by the boy as he explained his preferences.

"From what I know, flowers are picked for their beauty, and are usually uprooted in the prime of their aesthetics. They usually begin dying at that moment, and like everything we know, things usually start decaying to its end from then on. A poet once stated that people are like flowers; their souls are akin to its beauty, but in reality the best way to see how beautiful they are is by evaluating the garden which is their minds. A person could plant anything in their garden, they have the freedom to do so—be it that they choose to plant a field of flowers, or a field of weeds. However, such thinking is not entirely true... nor false. The honest truth, Kakarotto, is that people can complain because roses have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses. Whichever one chooses is true in its own merit, but to appreciate the choice—they'd have to comprehend that the full value exists when both remain together."

He had meant all of what he said, having determined what he wanted to do, and what he needed to do to achieve his goals. From what his parents taught him, Taritsu had been born into their families with high expectations in terms of responsibilities. None of the means traditionally used to do that appealed to him, but there was a definite way to complete his duties; his pursuits for science and truth was a means to it, and he'd embrace the path it would take him.

He had already eased from his perpetual anger-driven decisions, and yielded more patience than before. He even became aware of how to situate himself if there ever was a need to interact with lesser children his age. Besides, their means of having fun was not one which he particularly enjoyed... especially since it abused social contracts at the expense of others for sits and giggles.

Just as some boys were aiming to do right now.

"You done reciting your poem, sissy?"

The group that supported his thoughts laughed as they considered him too little in terms of masculinity; his appearance seemed as an amalgamation of his parents, but it was really due to his grandfathers who yielded a complimentary appearance to one another—mainly since back then society was less critical on male hair length. Either that, or they had public knowledge of them being untouchable. Unless they wanted something to regret.

"Nah, that crap doesn't matter to his type. They simply ignore insults towards their thinking man. What we really should do is shun him from having friends."

"Yeah, I think you're up to something. Hey you," the boy turned and confronted Charlotte. Having a good look at her up close, he could see the sparkles in her eyes and determined that perhaps "he" was attracted to Taritsu for his effeminate looks. "Why don't you hang out with us instead of this pretty loser. If you really want to idolize someone, idolize my divine-like body. Hell, I'll even let you suck my co~!"

His sentence was cut short as Taritsu could not tolerate the thirteen year old's perverted rambling.

In moments, Charlotte could see for her own eyes why her brother had spoken of Taritsu as a ruthless person. By speaking to her in such manners, he went berserk and pummeled the five older boys with his fists, anger overtaking his reasoning and showing almost no mercy until his eyes caught a glimpse of her horrified expression after Vejita kicked him off of their unfortunate, nonconscious forms.

Regretting his actions, he cast his look down and apologized to Vejita as he took their knocked out bodies away.

"It's okay. They asked for it; they should have known better."

Turning around the corner as he had been in a hurry to search for the two children, Cheisu caught his eye on his sister and Taritsu. He would be responsible for the beating. However, while he detested the consequences, his sister drove away her scarred state in an effort to comprehend what a stranger watching from the distance planned.

**She figured out that it was a vital moment.**

That was the moment she made a decision crucial for their futures.


	46. Chandler

Having gone past the designated area, Taritsu stood around admiring the sight of his handiwork. Obviously, his grandfather would enjoy the shoots they could use for crafting, and his cousin would give him well-deserved praise. They had this little rivalry ever since Taritsu had matched him in the assessment bout. The boy who barely knew a thing about a blade outside of culinary arts, wielded it almost innately like it felt natural in his hands. His movements were fluid, and countered Sugata's advanced techniques, but no matter what they tried, their matches ended in ties.

"Oh wow, a tanuki." The child heard fables surrounding the famous creature, but as childish as his amazement was, Taritsu appreciated the raccoon dog more for its biological facts than myths. He did feel that perhaps some traits it had could explain why Boruvian culture believed in such tales. Watching as it scrambled away once hearing him speak, Taritsu gasped dejectedly.

Renewed of determination, he figured he could follow it. Placing the 14" mamorigatana sword on his back, the boy shifted forward to remove his hakama for climbing, as he preferred the green under tunic. He enjoyed the color green a lot and it was something he crafted himself for the summer; it was designed to resemble his great-great-grandfather's adventure clothing, and for an old design, it was far better than anything his mother made him wear. "Just the thought of those clothes make me want to cry."

_WAAH_

"Like that!" He paused. The sound was of someone nearby, and it certainly seemed like another person rather than an animal. From his position, perched on the branch, he scanned the area. With his eyes getting irritated by the shining light that was the sun, he took precautions to avoid staring directly at bright places.

From what Taritsu knew, he wasn't blind; he could see colors and determine depth, but consistent bright lights had a devastating effect on him, making it necessary to avoid looking at the source. As such, when he heard the sobs closer as it took a while to travel—branch to branch, he turned and staggered, falling off balance with the rays aiming into his pupils. Fortunately, he had a prehensile tail which automatically responded to his anxious state, so he merely slid around and hung from the swing set bar, like a monkey.

Opening his eyes, emerald met striking blue, each with remarkable surprise at the sudden appearance of the other. She seemed out of place since her outfit was similar to the Lolita trend, but that wasn't unexpected; they were technically near the outskirts of the park... but what struck him was her physical features. Raven hair was of silk with the girl's porcelain complexion, and he sort of felt as if he recognized the child, even if they both were 5 and 4, respectively. '_Her clothes are well kept; these tears are..._'

"Something wrong?" It was a good start, but Taritsu was unable to get the lone girl speaking. He noticed that she was more concerned with him hanging around like that, and found him amusing. Fortunately, her laughter was good news as it meant the stranger was capable of calming down for a conversation.

When he stood up on the ground once more, he tried once more to assess her issue. "Where are your parents?"

The tears were almost wavering, but her determination won out as she wanted help. "At home," her gaze was expectant, and obviously entertained by his tail—which was now wrapping itself as a belt underneath his clothes. '_You know, I think she ran away._'

"What's your name?"

She was still quiet, and unresponsive, so Taritsu decided on calling her by a nickname. "...well, obviously you can't be referred without a name, so I'll call you," he paused while giving her a once over. "Yuki Morishita, cause you're '_bound for the bottom of the forest_'." He grinned, but the results were anything that he wanted. Seeing her cry, he did his best to ease her.

"All right, all right. I'll call you by another name."

Her teeth clenched, and fists by her sides, she gathered what courage she had and told him: "My name is Euphie."

Dumbfounded, Taritsu apologized and calmly returned the favor. "That's a nice name. You can call me Kyousuke."

The girl looked up at boy in awe. From her perspective, she saw a kind boy, much to her pleasure. Unlike she had felt earlier about the unreliable friend she trusted, she perceived Taritsu as a reliable and matured person. She also found his silver-white hair and emerald eyes pretty, but refrained from saying that. "You know, if you stay out here alone, a wolf might eat you."

"**I-I don't want to be eaten!**" She held her hands in front of her face, adorably crying her complaints. He giddily chuckled at her expense, then explained why when she stared him down. Even though Euphie was a child, she had an icy glare like his mother, but Yanagi's was powerful enough to petrify anyone—even those who were mentally prepared.

"Well...my last name has to do with wolves. Don't worry too much about it; we're friendly wolves, and unlike what stories you've heard, they don't bother attacking people unless required." His explanation made him seem honest as the ideal friend—something which the girl ached for.

"You can join us if you like. You'll be my guest." He proudly exclaimed with a radiant smile. "Oh, and I won't forget to change your nickname later." He smiled upon seeing the girl blush.

* * *

Euphie had never really liked the plans her family had for her. When she had first heard the term 'betrothed' she thought it was some sort of promise that meant betrayal would never occur between the two '_betrothed_'.

_But that was disproved as she had found out._

Fortunately, she met Kyousuke—a boy that was incredibly talented, considerate, and defensive when needed. Even though she was an outsider, he insisted that she'd have the same treatment as him. She didn't realize it, but she had grown from comfortability around the boy to feelings of genuine trust, as if her best friend all along had been the boy and not the one she was betrothed to. However, she didn't feel great accepting those ideas, so she decided to confront him about it.

"_Hey_... can I ask you something?"

"...Sure..."

"Let's say this girl messed up."

"Uh huh."

"Then this boy who was supposed to be her best friend told her that she shouldn't blame others for her mistake even though he clearly knows that it wasn't her fault."

...

"If you're in the girl's shoes, what would you do?"

He played with his pendant before answering, "If I were in that position…"

"Euphemia... _How did you know?_" He austerely whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"You always wondered why I'm so dedicated to learning and mastering everything I can, wishing to understand things; I'm sure you've thought about it. Well..." He took a deep breath, calming himself as he took her hypothetical question personally. To him, the manner she asked was as if to understand his issues, to see what flaws he committed and understand what kind of person he was. Perhaps that was her reason for asking, and if it was then there was really no harm in answering how_ he'd_ solve the problem.

However, it could also be possible that she took her own experience and used it to see if there was a viable solution to it. One which she desired.

'_It may or may not lead to a confirmation bias, but I know that what I'll say will seem controversial at first._' "Then I would take the boy's advice and tries to fix the mess."

She tightened her fists whilst maintaining her feelings under wraps; the patience she had for him was wavering, but she knew there had to be some reason for her friend's decision. "Why..."

"Well, I'm kind of the '_For the team_' guy. If the mess that one makes affects the team then I would definitely listen to what he says."

"Even if it's not the girl's fault?"

"If it's for a better cause, I don't see why not." He began, but took in the image of her trembling body as an indicator of it being sensitive issues. He wouldn't leave it at that. Not when he himself had faced such a dilemma that had basically crushed him. He would not leave her to experience the full effects of solitude and betrayal... especially when it was entirely possible to assist the girl this early. "But... my reasons for that comes from my desire to change the world to please everyone."

"Eh?"

'_This is why I struggle so much for my age._' "There are times when one must make a decision; sometimes that brings sadness; other times it's hatred. Then there are times when you can't seem to choose. This '_lack of options_' is what brings misery. I used to think people who thought like this are fools." '_Until I found myself in this position myself..._'

"Truth is, to be someone who can change the world into a better place means that I must do things that I at times might not want. Sometimes I might anger others to achieve those goals. Not because I want to, or because it's the easiest method to me, but because I have no other choice."

He knew it was something he'd have to deal with. It was a truth he'd have to acknowledge, for he had no weight to merit his actions noble; not when most people in the "_civilized world_" considered him a nuisance or worse, a threat.

"It sickens me... because I was weak and had to do what others told me. All I could do was evaluate what was the best method available, only learning what was available to me rather than looking for the truth on my own. People will obligatorily hide truths from you, just to keep things safe and optimal for their benefit, and never for the best intentions of others! _I learned that the hard way_, **however**... there are some who will care enough to pick you up when you've fallen, and because of this—I've decided to make my own path to truth."

Euphemia looked mortified, especially so as she had seen him far more worked up reminiscing of his pains than dealing with the troubles the servants made for him. He seemed ready to whip out his mamorigatana and slice his frustrations upon the first thing allowed. Yet it was merely speculation on her part, for he discovered that his actions made her fearfully clutch her pendant.

—AND HE HATED HIMSELF FOR BEING INSENSITIVE TO HER FEELINGS OVER HIS RAMBLINGS.

"But just to be clear on my answer—the decision isn't whether I naively think its for the best. It would be nice however, to have someone look after you, even though their kindness isn't anywhere present. When trapped with a forced option, know there exists the option of refusal. If an option goes against your philosophy, then refuse; nothing wrong can come from that because you—and I myself—know such truths exists."

"I understand." She agreed, teary-eyed as she regretted her earlier distrust.

"Now cheer up." He softly whispered while embracing her. "I came up with your new nickname. Consider **Yukinoshita**. I chose it because it means a lot of things, but the meaning I found was '_under the snow_'. It fits nicely, don't you think?"

She smiled as she found it an incredibly wonderful nickname.

_I'll cherish it dearly, Kyousuke-kun__._


	47. Epilogue: Taritsu Side

It is said that a smile is universally understood. The smile indicates happiness… and a friendly attitude… Smiling indicates we want to communicate with someone. It shows interest. But there is much more to it…

I cannot smile, for my struggles disallow it. I lack an interest in finding my sanctuary in others, which soothes my mind when I know powder of life's crimson sticks to my once pristine gloves. Maybe it's because I realized how much of a monster I am; maybe it's because I betrayed my family's expectations of myself, fiddling with the idea of protecting them by leaving.

My mother must be disappointed to know how I turned out.

_My dear, worrying mother..._

_**Oh! **_How it must feel for a parent to see their child completely the opposite of what they've been used to! I'm rather certain... that the wryly smiling boy accompanying me is someone strange, yet satisfyingly familiar.

.

.

.

"Where are we heading, Mamma?" The child with silver-white locks asked as they traveled into an area which he had little recognition of. Being that he couldn't leave the house without being in supervision of his family, Taritsu had no knowledge of what was planned. Therefore each day, he thanked the patience and devotion his mother had for him at home, explaining the reasons why he looked forward to learning more of what she could. "Are we going to check out a book at a library?"

Yanagi awkwardly smiled, both glad that her son's naivety allowed him to consider her preferences, but also saddened by the fact that if she answered him truthfully then it would be cruel. Actually, it was far more cruel that she keep the fact to herself, especially when she had learned her lesson since she and Matsuoka Kaede stopped seeing one another. It was terrible that she could not tell the truth of her predicament since it would entwine Kaede into the scandal, but it was better that she be left in the dark, than be targeted by the Jeung-Chi family.

"If you behave, then yes. We shall visit the library."

He smiled, glad to have guessed correctly. He loved figuring out his mother's plans, mainly since he wanted to repay her considerations. That trait was something which all Rutabaski males seemed to inherit from one another, seeing as all of them were devoted to their few intimate companions. It was also because of this fact that the young mother was reluctant to do what she set out to, but with each step as she neared the building, she slowed her pace. Eventually, it was evident enough for her son to catch up on the intention... though he was worried what it was that made his mother uncomfortable.

Seeing the name of the place, he recognized it as a child care institution—a place he knew his mother had never left him alone since...well, since he could remember.

"Mamma, why are you taking me here? Does Papà need you for something? I'll behave, I promise I will. I don't want to go to school. Please, Mamma." He knew no other means to explain himself, as his mother had hushed him and hugged him close as she thought dearly of his well-being. Yanagi had only a single child, and it was frightening for her to trust him out of her sight ever since what happened. If it had not been for her obligations taking priority over looking after her son, none of it would have happened. She swore to herself that it wouldn't occur again, and even took it upon herself to lecture him on everything he needed to know for the time being.

But reality wouldn't allow her wishes to come true.

'_Sedrick said I have to allow Kyosuke to find separation from me comfortable, or else he'll be stunted in terms of emotional development._' Had she had her way, she wouldn't have allowed her son in school until he was eight years, but even then she had little comfort in knowing that he'd be alright. Assassinations were always a threat, and she was lucky enough to have knocked out that foolish man who tried breaking into their home the other month. They were afraid of her child for illogical reasons, and she hated it. '_Yet Sedrick is right about my anxiety having an affect on our son. I need to learn to cope, or else he'll only have Vejita for social stimulation._'

"They're looking at me strangely, Mamma. Can we please leave; I'm uncomfortable standing here with everyone staring."

It was true. While the other parents were leaving their children at the childcare, they took a full moment to take note of what was going on with the outsiders. Both Yanagi and Taritsu were not of the small port town as far as the residents knew. They were too outstanding to be unnoticed among the others in _Tavecchio_, and it was strange that a parent, especially one as young as Yanagi, would be standing there alone. She drew too much attention to herself that way, especially with how they seemed to yield looks of disappointment towards the three-year-old for some reason, as if he were causing Yanagi trouble for not wanting to depart from her.

"I'm rather sorry for any troubles the others have given you two, but they seemed to have mistaken you for me," started another young woman who was just about the same in form and hair color. In fact, the only difference Taritsu could tell between them was their eyes and manner of attitude. His mother was ridden with guilt, but it seemed to him that the woman speaking to her was indifferent to how life was treating her—as if she accepted her role in the community she lived. However, one could easily mistake that it was an indicator of pessimism, when in reality, she had a child clinging onto her clothing that was shying away from view.

"I'm Chiara Herencia." She grabbed her daughter and kneeled down to her level, giving her encouraging words that allowed the girl to break out of shyness, although temporarily. "This is my daughter, Okra. I'm assuming that you are having trouble getting your son to enter the nursery school?"

Yanagi nodded, as she had no complaints with that assumption. It was more or less on the money, but with slight differences as she was the one who did not see it as something she could bear enduring.

This brought Chiara to clap her hands together once arriving onto a brilliant idea. "You know, if they enter the same class, neither of them should be shy. It's a fine compromise, so long as they remain trusting of one another. In fact... your son seems confident in himself now, so this should work."

Thinking quickly, she thought of plausible answers to divert the woman's curiosity from prying any more into such sensitive topics while her son was around. Fortunately, it seemed Chiara understood, and gave Yanagi a sympathetic look before kneeling before Taritsu as well and asking him if he could be so kind as to taking her daughter with him into the school. He wanted to reject the request, being quite tempered, but one look from his mother was all it took for him to accept as she approved. From his perspective, it seemed his mother had made a friend, but he didn't know how or why. All he knew was that the shy, meek girl he was escorting was someone he had to accompany until his mother couldn't see.

* * *

Dividing the children up into pairs was normal for the teachers to do as it was routine for them during this time. The children didn't protest, as they accepted the rules as they were taught to follow, and all but the two whose mothers were speaking minutes ago were obliging. Due to his stubborn attitude, and her shy personality, they didn't participate together as necessary, but worked next to each other as it became apparent to the young boy that he was bringing on too much attention. What the other children were doing didn't require two people; one could easily do it themselves, but Taritsu felt a bit uncomfortable with the girl seeming expectant of him to say something mean or snub her. It was so _damn_ ANNOYING...

"Children. It's break time."

All the others had cheerfully left their places and went off to do as they liked. Once again, Taritsu observed in annoyance, contemplating what he could do. Normally, his mother would not leave him much decisive freedom for it would risk his life. He would decide with acceptable criteria of things he could or couldn't do, to please his mother.

"Excuse me, child, but would you mind joining the others? I'd appreciate it if you could."

He remained where he was, ignoring the teacher's command for the most part. Not because he disrespected her, but because he was observing the shy girl—Okra. She appeared to be at ease, trying to join all the others with their activities. At first she tried getting one of the dolls, playing until they were taken away, but never complained of the mistreatment.

Next she tried arts and crafts, but that failed her once Okra saw the mad looks she was given for taking the few colored sheets of construction paper the others needed. She gladly gave it up, but as she meekly asked for some of her own, the girl was ignored.

Nothing that Okra tried lasted long...yet she continued trying her hand at gaining something. Eventually she remained watching a game of table tennis played by the higher competent members among the group. Amazed and filled with wonder, she seemed as if she wanted to join the game, but unfortunately she needed a partner to even start a game.

"Hey," he began, not sure if she was going to give any attention to him. Normally other kids wouldn't, judging him before ever given the chance to speak. Fortunately enough, Okra was definitely patient enough to hear him out. "Would you... like to play a game?"

* * *

About three weeks passed along as Taritsu continued to join the nursery school as he mother had brought him over. He didn't seek out friendships or companions to play with, but it was obvious that while the children avoided him for his outlier capabilities, so did he tend to keep to himself from them. The teacher was glad to have a child as well behaved as he was; well mannered and confident in himself, along with not being troublesome.

To the adults that saw it as just that, they were impressed with the teacher's capabilities, but only a few knew that Taritsu was really responsible for his own behavior. Okra knew this too, for she had come up to him to spend lunch with the first kid that reached out to her without judging.

"What are you reading?"

It was a book containing illustrations of avians, along with descriptions pertaining to each species. Currently he was looking for a description of their eggs, since he had found one the day before.

"Information on fowls."

"Fouls?"

He eyed her confused face, finding it cute. Not because he enjoyed her or saw her as someone he liked, but because he enjoyed an opportunity to teach someone. Besides—he was distant with girls. They were strange to him; sometimes they could be nice to be around, and far more sensible than the common man during times of crises, but for some reason their extremely more vague, emotional, and just plainly bizarre motivations seemed to cloud thinking. It was as if they were a prime example of chaos theory.

Their mothers may have gotten along, but he didn't want to risk seeing the faults of Okra.

He didn't love Okra, but there was something aching in him—compelling him—to coddle her. She reminded him of _her_. The long forgotten woman whom he was emotionally attached to.

.

.

.

**_The woman who he killed thanks to his identity as a universal rarity. Marguerite Valogna died because she was looking after him. Had if not been for him, she would have lived._**

.

.

.

_Your fault. Your fault. YOUR FAULT!_

"Shut up. SHUT UP!" He yelled out to no one particularly. It was only a phantom of his mind, guilt personified that he was tormented by. His current surroundings didn't indicate anyone else was nearby, but he had a sense of dread as he came to a slow realization that he had no means of discovering what had happened. All he knew was the putrid smell of death that filled his nostrils as he slowly tossed over everything in sight, searching for something he had already forgotten. There was no need for him to contemplate what it was; instinct would remind him once he'd recognize whatever he was looking for. Just as instinct made him begin laughing. It was first a chuckle, then a stifled laughter before full on maniacal cackling.

_How it felt great to feel numb to the sensation of fear!_

But did he hate himself that much to derange himself?

All that was certain, was how he could have sworn seeing a figure reach out for his weapon and aim at him. Fear driving his actions, he aimed nervously, but had yet to pull the trigger as Taritsu had noticed. Curious, yet also wondering if it were possible to know his own mysteries, he moved closer to challenge the weakened man to a little standoff.

"Do it. Shoot me if you dare. Get it over with. DON'T YOU WANT TO LIVE? AREN'T YOU ANGRY!?"

He shot the boy, pushed over the edge and frightened for his life. Seeing that clear opportunity, he took it, but none of it mattered as the bullet did not hit its target. It didn't even graze him. The bullet wasn't where it should be, and Taritsu could not see it for his own eyes, but the man knew with everything that happened to his comrades, that he was a goner.

"I'm sorry. I won't...I swear I won't do this anymore." He eyed not him, but the ghastly figure that happened to catch the bullet and held it with intrigued interest above the crazed counterpart who mocked death with his insane claims. "Please... just leave me!"

"Get out. I don't want to see your kind around here. **_YOU HEAR!?_**" Dejectedly replied Taritsu. He had hoped his experiment had failed, but it seemed he couldn't succumb to it. Not with how he was.

Left alone, all he could do was slump against a wall and sulk in his depressing thoughts. How did it lead to this; how did his life, despite how it was plagued with so many faults, still end up fighting corruption?

A monster was who he was... an undying, overpowered monster.

"What are you—?"

"_Rest, aniki._" Suddenly consulted the boy.

Closing his eyes, he began drifting back to the recollection of memories as his anxiety calmed.

* * *

"_Mauri._"

The boy who slept after running off cracked open his crusted eyes, having been tired from biding his misery. He had only fallen asleep because he was coaxed to do it by a compassionate person who encountered him moments ago, convincing him to rest his mind of troubles. Now he wasn't plagued by any preoccupying thoughts, but he was wondering who the navy blue haired and golden-yellow eyed person looking at him was. Not an adult, as he quickly discovered, though he did mistake her as one since she wore a straw hat. It was certainly someone who knew him.

The individual above him watched carefully as he slept on her lap, allowing her to speak with him in a soft manner. "Thank goodness I found you...Everyone's been worried."

"Don't tell them where I am." He interjected, wishing not to be found just yet. He was enthralled—not just because of the girl finding him—but because she wasn't reviling him. To him, this person was far better off not being acquainted with him, yet she stayed by his side, not relenting until he gave in.

"I won't leave you, Mauri. Not until you tell me what made you run away from the school. I don't know if being four in the sixth grade is tough, but you shouldn't run."

"Eighth," He corrected, then reminded her of their similar age; skipping grades weren't so simple to explain either, so he told her to dismiss it. "You have become more confident since I left, right?"

"What are you talking about? I'm still a bit nervous. Even though we spent a year together, I still need the teacher to help me. Had I only been as smart as you, then maybe we could have shared primary schools."

That befuddled him. Someone as innocent as her, wanting to stay with him? Didn't she know who he was, or did she forget after finding out all about his family ties? "You wouldn't want to acquaint yourself with me. I'm trouble, and people dislike me; all I do is make people sad. None of the problems would have happened if I hadn't been around. I couldn't even save those turtles from dying."

"They died?"

He hiccuped from the pain of his beliefs, accepting what others thought negatively of him. Both of them were shy, but they held differences depending on the situation. If comfortable, she'd be more assertive, but Taritsu was always uncomfortable and it disgusted him to know that interacting with troubling people made him callous and professional.

It was simply a farce for a false person. A front put up to allow others wishes come true... and make everyone who contaminated peace look at him and not the others who weren't faring as well. In other words: he was their sacrificial lamb, and it hurt worse to also believe their insults—partially.

"Promise me something." She started, asking him to put out his pinky finger with her. It was the first time someone asked him of this, but the gesture was not lost on him. Nodding, he carefully listened to her words. "If I manage to get to your level, enough to understand your position on things, will you mind if I stand with you then on?"

"But why would you care about me? I'd only ruin lives."

"_My life has been better... because of you._" She muttered, reevaluated her thoughts, then returned to face him. With no arguments against her decision, she closed in and peck his lips with her own—soft and sweet, intending to reassure him of his value. The boy, contemplating what to do, simply wondered what crossed her mind; she'd never do something so irrational as he knew her too well as a person. Now that he was caught in this unlikely situation, he nervously bowed his head and wondered what she thought of such cruelty before answering her.

"Of course, Okra." He said, embracing her pinky, then placing the flower on her hat. "...but I'm not sure if it's safe for you to do that this early. People will harm you if they find out what I had done."

Hearing his words of pessimism, Okra briefly wondered to herself a solution as she saw their mothers coming towards them. It didn't take long until they both heard Yanagi berate her child, the envelop him as she was frightened of what might have happened while he was gone. Her mother, Chiara, then spoke up, having discussed matters with friends whom she had made to get by as easily allowed in her life as a single mother.

"They'll allow him to transfer, Yanagi. He'll be closer to home, but are you certain just changing his environment is the answer?"

"Yes. If that isn't enough, then I'll have a family friend enroll his son with him. It's not difficult since they know each other; in the mean time, he'll spend the summer with my father." Yanagi answered, then cuddled her child as she was worried about the possibilities. "_Don't just run off like that, Kyousuke_."

Okra then humbly asked to speak with Taritsu to douse his worries before they left. "Mauri. If the problem is what people think of you—"

"_Then I'll just have to help everyone until they realize who I am._" He whispered, hugging her goodbye.

Yanagi did not ask what they did, but judging from his livelier smile that replaced his normally gloomy look...it was for his life's best interests.

'_Arigato, Okra._'

* * *

It was something he had forgotten, something that he did not know was his reasons for being divided upon his thoughts and motives. To think that he was acting like that despite the torment of his sins. The creeping tar of hatred and malice boiling over and using him as the source. All because of _that_.

Slowly, he found himself recognizing a genuine smile. It wasn't of happiness. He didn't wish to communicate with anyone, especially because he was a danger.

Nor was it because he was mad with his circumstances.

"I unknowingly ended up _killing_ you," he laughed to himself, eyeing the ocean frontier. His duty, despite what he did, demanded it. "—_I_ shall be the one to pay. I will atone by carrying through for your forsaken motive, and fight!"

"_My dear brother... you were alone and afraid._"

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* * *

In a secret bunker, a woman awaited in her hideout as she reviewed the events that had brought out the end to her organization. '_Typical. All these fools had to do was keep an eye out for any intruders._'

She saw the green giant that had busted into the facility, creating havoc as expected. It was not what she wanted to study, but the existence of a being like Kingston intrigued her; for what seemed like a trump card she had previously, it paled in comparison to what the new plan would require of them. '_Even **IF** I could...I am certain controlling so many would be difficult._'

Being fortunate for what they managed to get their hands on one of the special artifacts, their plans became easier with the possession of the _Elder Blade_. Now all that was needed was to initiate the second phase, but it would be difficult...especially since the Padrone's grandson was no longer detectable.

A knock on the bunker walls alarmed her of incoming members, but as she went over to check through the hidden camera feed, she beared witness to an entire espionage team slaughtered by a lone figure. Only one dismembered victims in such a manner, and she was thankful that there was indeed still hope for success, but trusting someone who killed the enemy that was after you who was formerly accompanying them was not wise. She knew this.

"What kind of fool do you think you are, believing that your chances of killing me is higher without your allies?"

Before answering, he took his hand and struck it through his torso, ripping it open like a simple costume. As horrifying as it seemed, it revealed the true identity, the very same of her ally. However, there was a sense of disdain towards what he most likely had done to achieve this.

"Warren? Weren't you caught in the blast that destroyed our science division?"

"I was indeed. I would have died had I been an ordinary man, but my determination can not be held back by miscalculations. It appears Bane has been ticked off by my intervening efforts, and he paid us back with mass destruction; I should have never tempered him. Though I am not without results," he spoke, referring to himself as he was proud of what he achieved. "I was finally able to take a formula similar to the composition of the Euric Devils, _'ami_."

"YOU FOOL! You know better than anyone that undergoing that transformation would bring an end to you. If not the sun's rays, then certainly the incompatible effects of apoptosis."

He chuckled, bringing a hand over his face as he heard her. To Warren, Rida Mænz was his mother. He knew no one else, and he cared little for whoever stated otherwise of his family or origin. He was due to adopt some of her beliefs, and he did—the kind which would assist their efforts despite what the other commanders of WUSS would proclaim. "It really shows that you think little of me, _'ami_. Won't you at least give me the benefit of the doubt, because I am certain there is a way for us to make use of these turn of events."

"The organization has suffered serious repercussions and you dare speak of victory like you've seen it! If I had not known what you were capable of, I would have gutted you. Exactly what devious plans do you have?"

"Oh, I really wouldn't know. The first I need is to seek a way to stabilize my existence; the '_artifact_' should be what I need."

'_He can't be serious. Even I don't know what may happen!_' "Then?"

"We will allow everyone else in the world to ruin each other." He began smiling. "Until then, I intend to recover the lord—**DEUS**—from his aquatic slumber."


	48. Epilogue: Johannes Side

To have expectations of everything going favorably was something Johannes Greil had long disregarded. Understanding that life was challenging and unfair to many was typical. The harsh cruelty of knowing this was priced, but Johannes had never considered to think that his lessons were incomplete.

Not until Karalynne Tepelny handed him a letter that evening.

"If it is from the council or another criticism..."

Karalynne flinched at the tone, but remained insistent, knowing how important it was as she had opened the envelope earlier to find the contents inside important and vital to the Rutabaski family. A simple explanation of unsolved issues, in which it was... rather personal and clandestine. Nothing for her to know of, but certainly terse and sensitive for those who knew what it meant. "_It's for you..._"

Johannes wanted to snarl, but calmed as he continued to hear the girl explain that it was from supposedly in possession of his grandson. What exactly was the connection? "Forgive me for my retorts, Tepelny. I'm just dispirited."

She nodded understandably, then left for him to read in privacy.

.

.

.

_Is there life after death?_

It is an age old question which is fairly logical, though irrational in nature. A rather speculated question, usually to garner that all of one's efforts in this life is for not. They will be rewarded, and will in turn, find peace once they've reach that state.

There are indeed many who are satisfied with that premise, but as all things that exist...

There are exceptions...

* * *

"Jojo, did you forget to set the timer again?"

A middle aged father inquired his son as they divided tasks which were needed to complete. As the man was world renown, it was typical of him to have his schedule full for months ahead of the current week, and he never had any more than 12 days of break sparsed throughout the year.

His son, Johannes Greil, was no ordinary posh and ungratefully pampered child either. In fact, if one were to define their familial ties by attitudes and behaviors, they'd believe the son was not his. Not when he gave out witty retorts to his methodically overworked caretaker.

"I didn't need to. I just set the heater on the highest setting and mentally measured the time. Honestly _padre_, we've done this enough times that I've gotten the gist of the formulaic composition."

'_How the mighty have fallen._' "So you say. Even if that is true, I wouldn't be so casual; the process may be faster, but the entirety of our nylon-based product will be of lower quality than I need." He took the cooling nylon composite material with the available set of tongs and had both ends stretched by the use of table clamps. Seeing the thinning center underneath the magnifying lens of his microscope, Juliano sighed as his son had weakened the properties of the material once more. "Well, I can't blame you for keeping in mind it has to be malleable, but its too loose for any applications. You'd fail as a chemist at this rate."

Johannes frowned to retaliate with the explanation. He was nowhere ranked near his father's expertise, but he was always attempting to simplify methods for his benefit. As his son, he was expected of many things, and taking over his mantle was something he had to prepare for in the coming years... but it was all too boring to wait far too long for excellency and mastery of all the required basics. "I was going to cool it all down to settle the material, _padre_. Besides, what's the deal with following instructions for creating polymers when I'm the one doing all the work. At least let me do it my way if all you're doing is critiquing where I'm failing in."

He didn't appreciate how his father was inattentive of his life, especially since as of lately the man was away from home most of the time. It made him feel as if he had no parents, but the adolescent wouldn't dare comment on that. Instead, he asked his father a hypothetical question on a premise he was given to cope with the absence of his family. It wasn't because he considered himself living in a broken home or anything; he just wondered why many could not communicate and understand one another—just as he couldn't with his father when it came to these issues.

"_Oye, padre_. Why do...people believe that there exists an almighty being that cares for them and insists to follow their perceived rules, but then argues and enters in conflicts with another who believes in the same deity, only to be discovered that the differences they argue about is customs and traditions, rather than courtesy which their religion preaches?"

"Why do you ask?" He didn't even look at his son when he replied, engrossed in his entries rather than diverting more energy to appear courteous.

"I just find it strange that they speak of peace and harmony, but it ends up leading to wars and international infamy. This has been existing for so long that I'm doubting that religion can remain an integral part of our global community any longer. I mean, they want the best for us, but—"

"_They expect people to convert to their beliefs._" Juliano's answer halted Johanne's cynical tirades. He had a bitter taste in his mouth being reminded of the words his aunt told him, explaining how unjust fanatics could be, but even if the religiously devout were a powerful group, he was certain they could not bring about an outbreak of a scientific dark age. There were simply too many hurdles the extremists needed to overcome before actually amassing a threatening movement for their cause.

"I understand where you are getting these assumptions, but why does something like this matter to you? We're simply men of science and wisdom; those who believe in the theologies and devout teaching are not for us to judge, nor is it in our place to deal with the concerns of these small communities. The only conversation that matters in all this is whether or not they are still within the boundaries of their freedoms and do not breach the code of ethics. So tell me: _Why do you worry of them when I do not pay heed?_"

Johannes didn't want to answer. In fact, he did not need to assume anything from the tone of his father's voice, for his words provoked him. However, he also knew that it didn't sit well with him hearing gross comments of his father because he was an advocate of the sciences. "It's just that there are people that say you care little of others and are biased. They paint you as an oppressor, and I hate hearing them say this; worst than that is when they say you're the Antichrist, but... you'd never do something... morally apathetic for the sake of science. Even so, if it were a choice, would y—?"

"I am rather sorry to stop you there son, but I can't stick around much longer." Answered Juliano as he cut off his son's questions. He didn't want to answer him in truth, but the reality of Johannes' question was tangible to what he was involved with. Not that he was promoting apathy as it was nefariously perceived in the question seconds earlier, but because it was something sensitive and damnable that he had to live with. He just didn't want his boy to suffer from knowing that it was indeed possible that his father was working with such people, proving the extremists and their case right in the mind of Johannes Greil.

"I have to head back towards the ISF for my meetings and the announcement of establishing international branches of the academy. Don't worry so much of their words, alright? I would never wish to harm anyone because I am curious and wish to sate my mind of taboo subjects. Even though I am not religious, I have standards that I will always follow."

The man then stood up from his desk and rearranged all of the paperwork to store it in his personal study for later. He didn't lie to Johannes, he definitely was going to the ISF for those reasons, but an errand on his mind was distracting his sense of duties, up to the point he almost couldn't bear seeing eye to eye with the 14 year old boy. He just knew that he had to voice his intentions in order to clear his conscience.

"Your birthday is a month from now; I know it's rather rude, but I might be busy once I arrive at the island. I'll see what I can do to end my duties earlier. Till then, try not to be a bother to the servants while I'm gone. Oh—and don't forget to continue your studies, Jojo! We'll play another round of ChessHeads when I get back, and maybe this time you'll defeat my 500 game winning streak."

"487 wins, _padre_. Don't stretch the truth." Immediately defended Johannes, causing his father to chuckle at his flustered state of anger which he found rather adorable and reminiscent of his mother whom he had not seen for three years now. In fact, the boy did not know his mother's true identity at all, but perhaps it would be best to reveal to him the truth when he returned from his duties.

* * *

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...these secrets which I know of are not those which I am proud to have held and defended, but do acknowledge that I am but a man trapped between duty to my sense of morality and devotion towards my family. I did not wish to leave you this sort of legacy to burden you, but it must be known that I am the one to blame for your sorrow as a young man.

Much of your life I will not bear witness to, but if what my collaborating colleagues say is correct, then I would be able to know the life you lead from another realm. A realm they say is where Kings and Emperors who have acquired the "_Elixir of Immortality_" remain as per required of them. I am sorry that I've done this to you, my son.

I am regretful for what habitual dolor you will endure for years to come because of the mistake I made from wishing to study the occult. I wished not to take advantage of peoples' faith and passions, but to cultivate knowledge—instinctual truths derived from the notion which drives us to seek out all that men consider sacred.

The method which they use to make these Kings and Emperors _immortal_ is not something I can reveal to you, nor can I detail the process they use. Emperor Shiro has promised me that I would not leave this world with regrets, but the same can not be said for those you cherish who may also end up in a fate akin to my misery. All I can hope is that they do not end up in the realm where neither man can feel perpetual comfort or perpetual suffering; it is unknown whether one can leave it, but what is known is that this form of immortality comes at a cost—an odious one.

The realm which I come to recognize as Abandoned Memories.

—**Juliano M. Rutabaski, November 6th 1963**


End file.
